Over his 23 years, Marsai Turbin hasn’t often enjoyed the smoothest of life paths.
Nor has he had the best of luck.
An Oakland resident, Turbin spent much of his childhood in the foster care system. As an adult, he has endured stretches of homelessness and bouts of depression and has had little contact with his biological mother.
Recently, Turbin was the victim of a freakish double-whammy. First, he was struck by a hit-and-run driver while crossing a street — an incident that left him with minor injuries. As Turbin lay on the pavement, the driver rushed over, stuffed $200 in his pants and then sped off.
Just a few weeks later, misfortune struck again as he strolled from his apartment to a corner store. Nearby, two people were arguing. A gun was fired and Turbin was hit in his upper left leg by a stray bullet.
