An 18-year-old suspect has been arrested in connection with the killing of Jace Young, a 6-year-old boy who was gunned down while watching fireworks with his family last Fourth of July, police said.
James Harbor was taken into custody at around 4:25 p.m. Wednesday when police executed search and arrest warrants on Font Boulevard between Junipero Serra and Cambon Drive in Parkmerced.
Young’s death prompted outcry from San Francisco’s Black community against senseless gun violence in the southeast neighborhoods.
Young was at a celebration on Whitfield Court near La Salle Avenue when he and a 39-year-old man were struck by gunfire. The other victim survived.
Jail records show police booked Harbor on suspicion of various charges including murder, attempted murder and vehicle theft. He was also booked on a gun charge.
LaKesha Young cries while surrounded by family during a news conference on the shooting death of her son, Jace, 6, on Tuesday, July 7, 2020. (Kevin N. Hume/S.F. Examiner)
The District Attorney’s Office has not announced a charging decision in the case.
District Attorney Chesa Boudin called the arrest “a critical step towards justice for the Young family” in a tweet.
“Proud of the hard work of my homicide team, in close partnership with dedicated SFPD homicide inspectors, in this investigation,” Boudin said. “It shows what we can achieve when we work together.”
Capt. Troy Dangerfield, head of Bayview Station, said the arrest was the result of months of work by police investigators.
“It’s good to see progress in the case,” Dangerfield tweeted. “No arrest can bring back the life of Jace. My hope is that this arrest brings resolve to the Family and #Bayview Community.”
mbarba@sfexaminer.com
