BERKELEY — A Berkeley spiritual faculty continued to grieve for one in every of its college students who was killed Saturday morning in a capturing that left three different males wounded.
In a posting on its Fb account, the Pacific College of Faith known as the killing of Isamaeli “Eli” Mata’afa, devastating, saying that “we maintain his household, church and the complete Bay Space Samoan and Tuvaluan group in prayer.”
The submit says Mata’afa entered the college’s Grasp of Divinity program within the spring of 2020 on a scholarship, awarded to incoming college students who finest exemplify the college’s mission. He got here to the college after graduating from Kanana Fou Theological Seminary in American Samoa, a faculty “with a long-standing connection to the PSR group,” in response to the submit.
“His aim in pursuing a Grasp of Divinity was to serve God and his group in San Lorenzo and the higher Bay Space,” the submit reads. “He additionally had a dedication to handle local weather change, which threatens the Pacific Islands via excessive climate and sea stage rise, from a theological perspective.”
Within the posting, the Rev. Ann Jefferson, the college’s director of group life and non secular care, mentioned, “When any member of our group is taken so out of the blue from us – and specifically, to the plague of mindless gun violence – the net and interwoven fiber of our group life can be torn aside. We'll mourn the lack of Ismaeli, his contributions to our group, and his prolonged group of religion, and we as a group pledge to do our half to recollect his life by working for the flourishing of peace in our world.”
Sandra Nathan, chair of the college’s Board of Trustees, mentioned, “We're so deeply saddened by this tragic loss to Eli’s household, church, group, and the prolonged PSR group. At this time and within the days to come back, we're lifting him up and asking for God to cradle him in God’s arms and ship solace to his family members. We're additionally praying for this mindless violence to come back to an finish.”
College president Rev. David Vasquez-Levy mentioned within the submit that “Eli embodied every little thing our PSR household holds pricey. He was an individual of deep private religion and was a frontrunner and mentor in his group with a want to create a world the place all can thrive. He had rather more to provide earlier than he was taken from us. At this time and within the days to come back, our prayers exit to Eli Mata’afa’s household — no guardian ought to undergo the loss of a kid, and positively to not gun violence.”
Mata’afa, 29, of San Lorenzo, was fatally wounded in a capturing that occurred about 1:06 a.m. Saturday within the 2300 block of Telegraph Avenue close to Durant Avenue. Police mentioned the capturing adopted some sort of combat however haven't but supplied a motive, named any suspects or introduced any arrests.
Berkeley police haven't formally recognized Mata’afa. Authorities have mentioned the three different males who had been additionally shot however survived are 22, 24, and 28 years of age. Police haven't mentioned the place the boys dwell; they are saying the boys are associated, however haven't specified the character of that relation.
Anybody with details about the capturing or who might need any sort of video of what occurred is requested to name Berkeley murder investigators at 610-981-5741.
A prayer vigil for Mata’afa was scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday on the San Lorenzo Neighborhood Church, 945 Paseo Grande in San Lorenzo.