Black Construction Worker Shot 7 Times In Racial Conflict

A family is seeking justice after a member of their family was shot seven times in Stockton, Calif., in what is believed to be a hate crime.

ABC News reports that Bobby Gayle, a 45-year-old Black man and father of five, was seriously injured during an unprovoked attack last Friday (October 8). His brother, Marlon Gayle, said Bobby had just finished a construction job at a restaurant when the shooting occured.

“This big truck came by and almost hit them. So my brother says, ‘Hey, slow down,'” Marlon Gayle told ABC News. “According to my brother and the guy who was with him, his friend, the guy gets out of the truck, the white guy, and he has a gun, and he starts saying the n-word over and over again and started shooting my brother.”

Bobby Gayle was shot seven times, including in his face. He is in stable condition, according to his family.

Right after the shooting Gayle left his brother a voicemail saying he had been shot and asked him to pray.

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“It was a miracle. God answers prayer and we’re just so thankful,” Marlon Gayle said. “He’s just so happy to be alive, and blessed to be with his family and his children.”

The shooter is described as a white male in his 30s, wearing a dark-colored jacket and jeans. The Stockton Police Department describe his vehicle as a late-model Chevrolet Silverado extended cab truck with after-model, chrome-colored wheels. A $10,000 reward for information leading to his arrest.

Additionally, police say they are investigating the shooting as a potential hate crime. Marlon Gayle says the assailant needs a higher power in his life.

“His heart is not right, the hatred that’s inside of him,” he said. “Yes, it was a hate crime and that person needs Jesus, that person needs prayer, that person needs to be brought to justice.”

“Our family, we never expected something like this to happen. We love people. We’re people that serve in the community, and we love people from all backgrounds,” he added. “We believe in forgiveness, but that person, he definitely needs to be taken off the streets. He’s dangerous.”