#Family of Asian woman shot to death in California call for hate crime probe

The family of an Asian woman who was shot to death in Compton, California, this weekend are pleading with authorities in the city to investigate her killing as a hate crime, a report said Sunday.

The victim, a 27-year-old mother named Sia Marie Xiong, was fatally shot outside of an apartment complex in the LA County city soon before 6 a.m. on Saturday, police said in a news release.

Investigators have not determined a motive in the slaying or identified a suspect, authorities said.

At a press conference Sunday, Xiong’s family and Los Angeles-area activists pleaded with police to investigate the slaying as a hate crime, KTLA reported.

“No one can deny the dramatic increase in Asian women being murdered across the country,” activist Najee Ali said at the press conference, according to the report.

In a GoFundMe set up by Xiong’s cousin, the relative described her as a loving person and a devoted mother to her 3-year-old son, Shakur.

“Sia was so smart, funny and loving! She had so much life to live and so much love to give,” her cousin wrote.

“It’s hard to grasp that we will never see or speak to her again. Hear her voice or laugh, see her grow older or make new memories with her,” she wrote.

“This baffles me that I’m writing about my cousin in the 3rd person. Please keep her mother, siblings and the rest of the family in your prayers!” the cousin added.

Proceeds of the fundraiser will go to funeral expenses.

An investigation into Xiong’s killing is ongoing, police said.