Justin Uy celebrated his 18th birthday just a few days before someone fired a barrage of bullets at him while he stood outside Dolores Street Elementary School in Carson.
The star Carson High School volleyball player was critically injured in the violent attack and remains on life support without any brain activity. Meanwhile, a week after the shooting, police have found no clues that would lead to his assailant.
On Tuesday, after Uy’s family and friends asked for help, the Carson City Council approved a $20,000 reward for anyone who provides information leading to the arrest and conviction of the perpetrator.
“Words cannot express how I feel right now, realizing that our young people have to go through something like this,” Councilwoman Lula Davis-Holmes said. “It could happen to any of us.
“I want to challenge all those cowards that are out there to get control of yourselves. If you want to shoot somebody, go and sign up and go to Afghanistan. Go over there. But leave our babies alone.”
The April 13 attack was carried out “for no apparent reason,” said Capt. Chris Marks of the Carson sheriff’s station. Uy was standing on the sidewalk at 228th and Dolores streets at 12:20 a.m.
“Detectives have learned that Justin Uy was standing near the corner when unknown persons shot him several times,” Marks said in a written statement. “At this time, there is no suspect description.”
Gang investigators are handling the case, though there is no evidence the attack was gang-related, Marks said.
“By all accounts, Justin was not only a good kid, he was a great son, student, friend and resident of Carson,” Mayor Al Robles said. “We are really, really sorry.”
Uy was a libero, or rear defensive player, on the Carson High School boys varsity volleyball team. In March, he was named one of the area’s top 10 “players to watch” by the Daily Breeze.
“Justin is a stellar student in the Academies of Education and Empowerment at Carson High,” said his sister, Emily Uy, in a gofundme.com online post. “He was set to graduate from high school this summer and was planning to attend college in the fall.”
She said the family is accepting donations on the site for his “colossal” medical bills and that he “has not done well” since entering the hospital.
“Never did (my family) think Carson wasn’t safe. We don’t want to live in a city where people can hurt other family members,” Emily Uy told the City Council on Tuesday, asking for help in finding his attacker. “We just really want to find this person, whoever did it, because right now there’s no hope for Justin no matter what they do. He’s not coming back.”
Anyone with information about the shooting is encouraged to contact Detective Scott Rodriguez of the Sheriff’s Department’s Operation Safe Streets Bureau at 310-847-8319. Tips can be made anonymously through the Crime Stoppers hotline at 800-222-TIPS or by texting TIPLA along with the information to CRIMES (274637) or at lacrimestoppers.org/.
