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Burna Boy made news recently when fans turned on him after he kicked out a woman who was asleep in the front row at one of his concerts. People also weren’t buying tickets to his shows, as reports found that only around 2,000 tickets were sold at some 18,000-seat arenas. The low turnout at Burna Boy’s concerts sparked debates online about fan engagement and professionalism from the artists.

But on Dec. 2, Burna Boy made headlines for a very different reason. After hearing about the tragic mass shooting in Stockton, California, that took the lives of four young people and injured 11 others, the Nigerian singer-songwriter stepped in to cover the funeral expenses for the four victims.

The Afrobeats giant was deeply upset about what happened and moved by the victims’ stories, especially that of 14-year-old Amari Peterson, who was a football star and a 3.8 GPA student. Peterson was identified as one of four victims killed in the mass shooting at a 2-year-old’s birthday party alongside an 8-year-old, a 9-year-old, and a 21-year-old.

In a statement, Burna Boy explained, “When I heard about the children murdered in Stockton, my heart broke. After hearing the story on The Breakfast Club, I reached out to Wack 100 and connected with Jason Lee (Stockton Vice Mayor) because no family should ever face this kind of pain alone. I wanted to do whatever I could to support these parents as they begin the long process of healing.”

Lee said that “Burna Boy’s generosity is an example of how people around the world want to help, even when they’ve never met the families impacted.”

As of this writing, the shooters have not been caught. Law enforcement has launched a manhunt for those responsible with assistance from the FBI. 

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