A routine trip to Walmart for a few groceries turned into a nightmare for 59-year-old Jonathan Ma, who was tragically shot and killed in the parking lot following a minor fender bender. The incident occurred on February 5th, leaving Ma’s family and friends grappling with the shock and searching for answers.
Ma’s oldest son, Matthew, shared that his father was simply picking up his favorite soda and ingredients to make beef jerky. “Two items in particular,” Matthew recounted. “For Christmas, my brother Tim had purchased him a dehydrator. My dad liked the idea of making his own beef jerky. He had gone out that night to get curing salt and Pepsi, his favorite soda to drink. That’s why he was there that night.”
Jonathan Ma pictured smiling with his granddaughter.
According to police reports and witness accounts, Ma was backing up his car when he accidentally bumped into the vehicle of 37-year-old Shanti Norton. While the details of the accident itself remain unclear, witnesses allege that Norton became visibly upset. Moments later, she allegedly retrieved a gun from her vehicle and fatally shot Ma.
“The stories I’ve heard is a vehicle was backing out of a spot and collided with my dad’s car,” Matthew explained. “I don’t have the details on exactly which car was where, who was backing up, who was going forward, or even who was at fault. The stories I’ve heard is my dad, foot responsive, so he stopped his car, he got out and began apologizing. At that point, the person in the other vehicle raised a firearm and fired one shot, and shot my dad in the face.”
After firing the fatal shot, authorities report that Norton got back into her car and fled the scene, leaving Ma dead in the parking lot. The news of Ma’s death sent shockwaves through the community, especially given the apparent minor nature of the fender bender.
Authorities have stated that the damage to Norton’s vehicle was minimal, further fueling the disbelief and outrage surrounding the incident. This tragedy has left many questioning how such a seemingly insignificant event could escalate to such a horrific act of violence.
The impact of Ma’s death has been profound on his family, particularly his younger brothers, who Matthew says are struggling to cope with the loss. “It’s been very rough,” he shared. “I’ve watched people that I’ve known my whole life that are very strong people, distant family, my younger brothers really fall apart. They’re having a hard time moving forward.”
The sudden absence of their father has also left a significant void in their daily lives. “The idea of returning to work for some of my family is very difficult,” Matthew revealed. “My dad, they still lived with him, so for him to not be there when they get up in the morning to go to work or when they return home, they’re really struggling even now.”
Norton was apprehended within 24 hours of the shooting. The LA Times reported that police executed a search warrant on her apartment and discovered an unregistered 9mm firearm. Authorities confirmed that the weapon matched the one used in Ma’s murder.
Matthew admitted that the weeks following his father’s death have been a roller coaster of emotions. “Over the last couple of weeks, and the different conversations I’ve had with friends and family, I would say I just kind of bounce back and forth between extreme sadness and anger,” he confessed. “You know, I don’t understand the justification a person can have to harm, let alone take the life of another human being over something so trivial. It’s heartbreaking.”
Jonathan Ma was not just a victim of a senseless crime but a beloved member of the San Bernardino community. Matthew proudly shared that his family has deep roots in the area, and his father was known for his selflessness and unwavering willingness to help others.
“I was born in San Bernardino, lived there until I was 18,” Matthew recounted. “And of course, being 18 years old, you know everything and you move away for a little while. I came back at 19, lived in his home to my early 20s. I moved to Rancho Cucamonga about 30 minutes away. I currently reside in the high desert about 40 minutes from his house. But I, every weekend, oftentimes after work, sometimes I get off work, go by, pick my dad up, take him to dinner. Just, we’ve always been close like that. All of us have. We’ve had a tradition in my family since I was a kid. We always ended a phone call with ‘I love you.’ And the sentiment was you never know if it’s the last time.”
Ma’s generosity and kind spirit extended beyond his immediate family. He was known as the person people could call at any hour for help, and he would be there without hesitation.
“So my dad was a very selfless guy,” Matthew emphasized. “He sacrificed and would sacrifice anything for his family, for his friends. He’s the kind of person that would get a call late at night that somebody was in trouble, stranded, broke down, he’s the first person that would be there. He’s the person my brothers and I have always reached out to if we’ve had any type of trouble. You know, our brother broke down coming from back east at one point, and you know, my dad immediately got in a car with me, went and got him. That’s the kind of close-knit family we are.”
Cars were another passion that Ma shared with his sons. Matthew reminisced about how his father enjoyed working on cars, a hobby that brought them closer together. “He enjoyed cars, always a big passion of his. That’s carried on through all of us. I’m a big car guy, I have two younger brothers, Timothy and Jacob. Tim and my dad built off-road vehicles together. And then my youngest brother who’s only 20, him and my dad were restoring a 1992 Miata that my brother had bought.”
Jonathan Ma pictured working on a car engine.
While Ma embraced his role as a father and grandfather, he often joked that he disliked the title of “grandfather” because it made him feel old. However, his actions spoke volumes about the love and joy he had for his granddaughter.
“He, every aspect of his granddaughter’s life, especially when she came into this world, you know, some of the pictures that I’ve shared or you know, she fell asleep next to him while they were watching a movie,” Matthew fondly recalled. “You know, feeding her when she was a baby. He was ecstatic to have a granddaughter, to see the family lineage continue.”
In the wake of Ma’s tragic passing, stories about his generosity and willingness to lend a helping hand have poured in, offering solace and comfort to his grieving family. “The things that stand out the most were stories I heard, especially the first week or two after the incident,” Matthew shared. “I spent a lot of time at his house with my brothers and I would have people come by, stop, people I’ve never met, never heard of, would come up and say ‘Hey, you know, I knew your dad because this one time I was broken down and he was there.’ Or ‘You know, I saw he was working on a car, I came by, asked for advice, he came over and fixed my car.'”
Even complete strangers have reached out to share heartwarming stories of Ma’s kindness. “Some neighbors had moved in recently that I never even had the chance to meet came over with flowers, gave me a big hug and said you know ‘one time they were out there struggling with their car, my dad, you know, whatever just fixed it,” Matthew revealed.
These stories have reinforced the kind of man Jonathan Ma was: always willing to help, even in the face of his own challenges. “The message I would like to portray is that is the kind of guy that he was,” Matthew emphasized. “He’d stop and help anybody for any reason, he always had been that way. And even in dark times like these, there are still good people out there that have that mentality, and they should be appreciated for for being there and and having that type of personality.”
Following Ma’s death, many people have reached out, asking how they can support his family. Matthew has set up a GoFundMe page to help cover funeral expenses, and the response has been overwhelming.
“It’s the most bittersweet portion of it,” Matthew admitted. “Obviously, the loss of my dad in the manner that I lost him has been very difficult. In the light of a random person ended his life over something so stupid, it’s hard to want to go out into public and feel safe, feel secure, feel comfortable. But there’s a lot of light at the end of that darkness, and that is the contributions people have provided. I’ve received emails from people on the east coast, Texas, Florida, Georgia, all over the country. I’ve even heard some stories that these news interviews I’ve done have been broadcast to other countries now.”
The outpouring of support has been a source of comfort for Ma’s family, reminding them that even in the darkest of times, humanity and kindness prevail. “I’ve received more support than I could have ever imagined,” Matthew expressed. “And sadly, I haven’t been able to reply to most of these, still very difficult for me. But I like to take opportunities like this to know that every single message I’ve gotten, it doesn’t matter how short, sweet, simple it was, it’s appreciated beyond words.”
While the support has been a beacon of light, many questions remain unanswered. There has been no contact from Norton or her family, leaving Ma’s family without any explanation or apology for their loss.
“No, we’ve not heard from anybody,” Matthew confirmed. “The limited information that I, I can and I’m comfortable providing is seems like not a lot of responsibility is being taken.”
As the family continues to navigate their grief, Matthew’s focus remains on seeking justice for his father. “I will be at every single hearing, major or not, it does not matter,” Matthew declared. “I’m thankful to work in an environment where I have the backing of my employer to ensure that I take the time I need to do the things I have to do. So that I’m very thankful for.”
Matthew firmly believes that Norton must be held accountable for her actions and that leniency is not an option in this case. “As far as justice, this person needs to be held accountable for their actions,” he stated. “There should not be any leniency. It was a senseless act of violence. It doesn’t have anything to do with the means used. It’s a person perpetrating an evil act on another person. That is the only relevance here. That’s something I’ve wanted to remain very clear on. And they need to be held accountable regardless of what the sentencing ends up being. After going through the court system, whatever happens, as long as they’re held accountable, I do not believe a person like that has any rights or freedoms to roam these streets with the rest of society because they are a danger to society.”
While the pursuit of justice continues, Matthew finds solace in remembering the extraordinary life his father led and the values he instilled in his children. He is determined to honor his father’s memory by continuing to be there for his family and by advocating for justice.
“This is the kind of guy that would have stopped any in his life, especially for his kids,” Matthew reflected. “You know, he’s he’s had a lot of lot of difficult times, his health was not the greatest for the last couple of years, and he had some fears. A couple years ago, we found a letter that he had wrote addressed to us should something have happened. We found it a few days after his passing. It brought a lot of closure, there was a lot of things in there that we needed to hear. But he said the greatest joy he had was his kids.”
Shanti Norton has been charged with murder and is currently being held without bail. She has pleaded not guilty, and her next court appearance is scheduled for March 5th. The investigation is ongoing as the community mourns the loss of a kind and generous soul, Jonathan Ma.
