UPDATE: Oakland Chinatown Officials Offer $10,000 Reward In Search For Killers Of Jasper Wu
OAKLAND (CBS SF) -- Hoping to generate new leads in the I-880 freeway slaying of little Jasper Wu, Oakland Chinatown officials have announced a $10,000 reward for information leading to the identity of the gunmen who engaged in the rolling freeway shootout.
Wu was riding in a third, uninvolved vehicle with his family on I-880 Saturday afternoon when he was killed by a stray bullet from the freeway shootout. Little Jasper would have turned two years old next month. Instead of planning his birthday celebration, his mother Cherry An is now planning his funeral.
After an initial news conference, the California Highway Patrol has remained relatively silent on the investigation into the slaying.
Meanwhile, the Oakland Chinatown Chamber of Commerce has created a GoFundMe campaign to help the family. By Friday morning, the account had collected $205,450.
Additionally, the chamber has joined with the Crimes Against Asians Reward Fund and the San Francisco Police Officers Association to offer the $10,000 reward.
ALSO READ: Oakland Residents, Motorists Shocked After Toddler Killed In I-880 Gun Battle
Other details of the chamber's efforts to advance the investigation will be unveiled at a Friday news conference, but chamber officials were already turning up the heat on the CHP.
"Protecting its citizens serves as the government's fundamental responsibility, and if the death of this toddler, on his way home with his family, doesn't wake us up to the out of control crime in Oakland, I don't know what will," said Carl Chan, president of the Oakland Chinatown Chamber of Commerce, in a news release. "We can all be victims, and I call on the California Highway Patrol to increase its presence on our roadways so tragedies like this can be prevented."
Jasper never got to meet his father, who lives and works in China. The two would talk by phone using FaceTime.
"Jasper could recognize his father, would call, 'Daddy! Daddy!' He was such a good boy. He rarely cried," said Cherry An.
His father arrived from China at SFO Monday night. The family says COVID traveling restrictions prevented them from seeing each other.
Jasper's mother was driving southbound on I-880 with relatives in a white Lexus, headed to Fremont, where they live. Three kids were in the back seat. The family said as they reached downtown Oakland, a single gun shot hit Jasper, who was in his car seat.
Jasper was rushed to UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland, where he died.
Jasper's grandmother talked about her grandson and remembered his smile.
"He's such a sunny and open and active boy," the boy's grandmother said.
Fremont Mayor Lily Mei delivered flowers and condolences to Jasper's family Monday. She also made it very clear that this kind of violence must stop.
"Such a tragedy in terms of the loss of a innocent life. We need people to stand up and say this is wrong," said Mei.