Good Samaritan Killed, Wife and Daughter Injured, While Feeding Homeless
In Oakland California, a family was critically injured by gunshots early Wednesday morning as they delivered fish dinner to the homeless.
Paris Powell, 29, also known as “Brother John” in the community because of his generosity, his pregnant wife, 35, and his two young daughters were attacked when a shooter drove up to the family van and opened fire.
Brother John was shot in the head and was on life support. He died Thursday at 4 p.m.
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His wife suffered from minor injuries when a bullet grazed her and the 3-year-old daughter was hit in the arm. The other daughter, 7, suffered no physical injuries.
Lalita Powell, the wife, told police, according to USA Today, that she and her husband were ministers at a local congregation.
The shooting happened shortly after midnight, after the family had just delivered a hot meal to William Holloway, a man they befriended while he was homeless. They had been delivering hot dinners to the homeless that day and decided to check on their friend, now a security guard, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
"There was not one word," Holloway told The Mercury News. “All those shots, I had to duck. [The victim] didn't have time to duck. The kids and the wife were screaming and hollering.”
The Associated Press has offered a $25,000 reward for any information that may lead to the shooter’s arrest.
Holloway had a lot of respect for Brother John and his dedication in helping the poor.
"He didn't have to come here and do this. There ain't too many people who would. He might lose his life helping people in the street," he said.
"I just hope and pray they catch who did this."
Currently, there are no suspects named for the shooting.
