Family of Asian woman shot to death calls for hate-crime investigation
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COMPTON, California (KABC) — A family is looking for answers after a 27-year-old mother was gunned down in Compton.
Sia Marie Xiong was fatally shot shortly before 6 a.m. Saturday in the 1600 block of East Kay Street, according to authorities. She was rushed to the hospital with a single gunshot wound and was pronounced dead there.
She left behind a 3-year-old son, Shakur.
Her family has no idea of the motive.
“She was a free-spirited person, filled with a whole lot of love and compassion. So it’s really hard for me to understand, for somebody to hate her so bad to want to kill her,” said Akeisa Long, Sia’s aunt.
Sia was of Asian descent. Family members and community activists are asking the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department to investigate whether her race played a factor in the shooting, particularly during a nationwide increase in hate crimes against Asian Americans.
“Given the rise in Asian Americans being murdered and hate crimes against Asian Americans we’re asking the sheriff’s department to look at it with that lens to see if the motivation was hate against Asians because is was of Asian descent,” said civil rights activist Toni Jaramilla.
The sheriff’s department says at this time the reason for the shooting remains unknown.
“There is no known motive or any suspect information,” the sheriff’s statement said. “The investigation is ongoing.”
Xiong didn’t live in Compton and family members say they have no idea why she was there.
They say so far investigators aren’t releasing any information about the murder.
A description of the suspect and the circumstances that led to the shooting have not been released.
A GoFundMe has been established to help Sia’s family.
“Sia was so smart, funny and loving!” the page says. “She had so much life to live and so much love to give. The fact that her life has been cut short, in such a violent manner, pains the family to the core.”
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500.
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