An online fundraiser has been established to support the family of US-based Ghanaian Lartey Solomon, a 33-year-old registered nurse and popular social media content creator, who was shot and killed during an attempted robbery in downtown Oakland, California, USA.

Solomon, known online to his followers as Nurse Solomon, was killed in the early morning hours of May 31. Police have since arrested a suspect in connection with the homicide.

The Incident

According to Solomon’s mother, Florence Edwards, the incident occurred around 2:45 AM. Solomon and an unnamed friend were walking to a parking lot in downtown Oakland after leaving a nightclub when a man approached Solomon and complimented his chain.

The man approached a second time and demanded the jewelry.

"My son said, 'You can have it, you can have it.' He was ready to take off everything," Edwards said.

Solomon's friend reported walking ahead toward a parked vehicle when he heard gunshots. Solomon died from his injuries.

"Why did he kill my son?" Edwards said. "He could have just robbed him and just leave him alone."

Suspect Arrested

Several days after the shooting, police arrested 39-year-old Jacori Daniels of Vallejo. Investigators utilised automated license plate readers to track the suspect’s vehicle and recovered shell casings linking him to the crime.

Daniels faces charges of murder and additional felonies. He is currently being held without bail. According to records, Daniels has a prior criminal history, which includes a 2018 physical confrontation with police in Fremont.

Edwards expressed gratitude for the rapid police response, adding, "Jacori Daniels should be in jail for the rest of his life so that he doesn't come out to kill another person."

A Legacy of Service

Solomon immigrated to the United States from Ghana and worked as a registered nurse at Kindred Hospital in San Leandro, about 13 minutes drive from downtown Oakland. Family members noted that he had aspirations of becoming a medical doctor.

Outside of his formal employment, Solomon built a substantial online presence, creating free medical advice videos and sharing motivational messages, such as, "The real fix is correcting daily habits."

"Lartey is not just a headline," said his sister-in-law, Nana Ekua Solomon. "What Lartey was doing online wasn't for financial reasons. It was his passion. So we want his legacy to still live on."

His older brother, Emmanuel Solomon, noted the tragic irony of his brother's death: "He was scared about guns and all that, and for him to die of gun violence, that’s sad and that’s really tough for us."

Nurse Solomon an alumnus of Bethel Methodist School and St John's Senior High School in Takoradi, Ghana, leaves behind an 11-year-old daughter who currently resides in Ghana. The family has launched an online fundraiser to cover expenses and to assist in bringing his daughter and father Rev Emmanuel Solomon to the United States.

Tributes Pour In

Following the news, multiple tributes have poured in for Solomon, affectionately called Lai, from Americans, and Ghanaians alike. Colleagues and followers have publicly shared their grief, honoring his dual impact as a local healthcare professional and a global content creator.

Article contains interview excerpts from a report by KTV's Amber Lee