After a Louisiana family lost their 3-year-old boy, Shaquille O’Neal stepped up to help them. According to WAFB, the retired NBA legend is taking care of the funeral cost of Devin Page Jr., who was fatally shot on April 12.
“I’m so sorry for your loss. Me and a pastor friend are going to take care of everything,” expressed O’Neal, who is an alum of Louisiana State University, during a FaceTime according to PEOPLE. “I’m so sorry.”
Last week, on Tuesday, the Baton Rouge resident was reportedly sleeping in his bed when a stray bullet entered his home, claiming his life. A spokesman for the Baton Rouge Police Department revealed that the terrible shooting unfolded on Fairfields Avenue near North Foster Drive a little after 11 p.m.
Police believe that the bullet came from a gunfight that had broken out right outside the preschooler’s home. Authorities have not arrested anyone yet and the case remains under investigation. Meanwhile, Devin’s family is left devastated by the sudden loss of their child, who had just started preschool and loved to spend his time playing with his siblings.
The deceased boy’s family told KWTX how they wished to leave home right after they heard gunshots a few nights in a row. However, Devin’s mother Tye Toliver ultimately decided not to do so as it would have cost them thousands of dollars to move.
“I try to stick it out. Now that I stick it out, this is the outcome of what happened. My son got killed,” shared the heartbroken mother. The boy’s grandmother Cathy Toliver shared, “Until it happens to you, until the gun is shot at your house, you know, until the bullets come through your window, you don’t get involved. You have nothing to say.”
BIG MAN, BIGGER HEART: Shaquille O’Neal will pay the funeral expenses for a 3-year-old boy who was hit by a stray bullet while in bed, family members said. https://t.co/HsvD6omgJj
— Region 8 News (@Region8News) April 17, 2022
“But you don’t want this feeling that we have right now. You don’t want the feeling of knowing that you’ll never see your grandbaby or your son again. You don’t want that feeling,” she added.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the family during this difficult time. The page which describes Devin as a “gentle, energetic young boy who loved his family dearly” and “was the light of their lives” noted how the young boy died because “of a senseless act.”
The community came together on Saturday, April 16, to mourn the loss of the young child as a memorial balloon was released at the Morning Star Full Gospel Baptist Church located at 2267 Balis Drive, Baton Rouge, LA 70808, at around 3 p.m.