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2.22.2017

8-year-old boy killed in drive-by shooting

Jonah Hwang was sitting down for dinner when he was fatally shot.



In Southern California, homicide detectives are asking for the public's help searching for the assailant who opened fire on a home in Pomona, shooting and killing an 8-year-old boy before driving away.

Bullets tear into Pomona home, killing 8-year-old boy

Jonah Min Hwang and his family were visiting the home on Monday evening when he was fatally struck by gunfire during an apparent drive-by shooting, according to the Pomona Police Department.

They were sitting down to dinner, around 6:36pm, when someone pulled up in a car and fired approximately five shots into the residence. One of the bullets hit Jonah in the head. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.




"The devastation that we feel from this loss is unfathomable," the Hwang family said in part of a written statement. "Jonah was a light and joy in our household and we cannot imagine our family without him."

It's not clear whether the home was targeted, or if the shooting was random. Police say the residents don't have any gang connections, but this is the second time the house has been shot at in the last three weeks.

Authorities say don't have much else to go on. They have very little info on the suspects or their vehicle.

Anyone with information about the shooting is urged to call the Pomona Police Department at (909) 620-2085. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477.

Meanwhile, a GoFundMe page has been set up to help Jonah's family with funeral expenses.