Family, Kumeyaay Nation Up Award to Find Fatal Freeway Shooting Suspect

Originally 12:48 p.m. Aug. 5.

An award for information about the shooting death of Xusha Brown Jr., 22, was increased Wednesday from $50,000 to $100,000.

The award was increased with $10,000 from the Brown family, $80,000 from the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation and $10,000 from Crimestoppers, according to Lt. Matt Nicholass.

Brown Jr., was riding in the passenger seat of a friend's car May 5 when an unknown assailant in another car drove alongside and shot him multiple times on Interstate 8 near State Route 125 in La Mesa. The driver was also injured.

He died at Sharp Memorial Hospital later that day.

"It is gang-related however the individual who died we do not have any belief that he belonged to a gang and we don't know who was the target in the car or the motive in the shooting," Nicholass said. "We believe there are people who saw what happened but they're just reluctant to come forward."

Brown's mother, Deborah Flores, described her family's loss and hope for justice during today's news conference at La Mesa police headquarters.

"Somebody that night made a choice to change our lives forever, and our lives have forever changed," she said.

Daniel Tucker, chairman of the Sycuan tribe, called on any reluctant witnesses to come forward immediately.

"Justice has to be served,'' he said. "This has to happen, and it has to happen now. Please don't be afraid to make that commitment for somebody's life."

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call the La Mesa Police Department at 619-667-1400 or contact Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477 or via email at sdcrimestoppers.com.

–City News Service contributed to this article.