Mother mourns loss of son in West Oakland New Year's Eve shooting
OAKLAND, Calif. - The mother of a man shot and killed as he was headed to work in West Oakland is grieving over her loss - and that of her grandchildren.
"I'm a mom and I'm hurting. But you took everything from my grandbabies. Everything," said Leah Freeman, struggling to control her emotions.
Her son, Willie Bernstine, 32, a married father of two young children - was shot and killed outside Auto-Chlor at 14th and Poplar streets in West Oakland at about 7 a.m. on New Year's Eve.
"Don't let no other mother feel like her soul is being snatched out of her body. Don't let another mother feel what I'm feeling right now," she said..
It happened as Bernstine drove from his Richmond home and arrived for work at the cleaning-supply company.
Willie Bernstine, 32, married father of 2, was shot and killed as he arrived to work in West Oakland.
Witnesses told Oakland police the shooter approached him with an AR-15-type rifle and shot him dead before leaving in a car.
No arrests have been made, and police have not discussed a motive.
"And I'm gonna say this for the person who did it: you didn't have a reason to do it," his mother said.
Freeman says she doesn't know why anyone would target her son.
"Why? When you got so many people out here that do wrong. Why take somebody who's doing right?" she asked.
She says people were drawn to her son, who was known as "Mistah Man."
"Everyone that knew him loved him. He was a light, amazing light," she said. "He just was this big ball of energy."
Freeman says she wants justice for her son and hopes anyone with information will come forward to investigators.
"You didn't make a name. What you actually did is make his light shine brighter," she said.
Freeman has set up a Gofundme to support the family.
Henry Lee is a KTVU crime reporter. E-mail Henry at Henry.Lee@fox.com and follow him on Twitter @henrykleeKTVU and www.facebook.com/henrykleefan
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