After working on his craft since the age of 7, an aspiring R&B artist’s voice was almost taken away from him on January 2.
It started as an ordinary day for C-Jay, whose real name is being withheld, as he went on with his usual routine of heading to singing lessons after working at Home Depot. But before he could get there, he was shot by an unknown gunman, police say.
The 27-year-old was walking to the train in Queens, New York to meet celebrity vocal coach Craig Derry, who has worked with the likes of Katy Perry, Alicia Keys, and Mary J. Blige, when he was shot in the upper back, near the spinal cord, in what may have been a targeted shooting. However, C-Jay was not the target. ABC reports:
C-Jay believes it was a case of mistaken identity. After being shot, he heard the gunman say “It’s not him.”
C-Jay’s family believes he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, describing him as someone who doesn’t drink, smoke, or hang out with the wrong people. “Everybody loves my son,” his mother told DNA Info.
An arrest has yet to be made, and police are offering a $2,000 award for any information.
Although C-Jay is now in stable condition in the hospital, he is unable to move, and his family fears that he may be paralyzed for the rest of his life.
To assist with his very long road to recovery, C-Jay’s family started a GoFundMe page in order to raise $10,000, but it will only cover the costs his family must pay to take time off work and visit him. So far, over $7,000 has been raised with the help of Russell Simmons, who donated $2,500 this afternoon.
The next step is to raise money for the rest of his medical bills and rehabilitation. A benefit concert is currently in the works, an initiative from German supermodel Hana Nitsche and Derry, featuring some of Derry’s current and past celebrity students.
Stay tuned for more information on the concert, but in the meantime, you can make a donation here.
