A capturing Tuesday night time in Lengthy Seaside left a 12-year-old boy useless and a 14-year-old woman wounded, police mentioned.
A 3rd sufferer, a 13-year-old woman, wasn’t injured.
Police recognized the boy as Eric Gregory Brown III of Lengthy Seaside.
“The capturing that happened final night time is completely devastating. A younger boy’s life has been minimize quick attributable to an insupportable act of gun violence,” Chief Wally Hebeish mentioned Wednesday. “Whereas we mourn this loss as a neighborhood, our officers won't cease working to find and arrest these accountable for this tragedy.”
The capturing, which was reported to police at 11:32 p.m., occurred within the 2200 block of Lewis Avenue.
The victims have been strolling on the sidewalk once they have been approached by a car containing no less than two male suspects, police mentioned. It wasn’t clear what number of suspects shot on the victims however they have been gone when officers arrived.
The boy was shot within the higher physique and the 14-year-old woman had an damage to her decrease physique, in line with police. Firefighters took the boy to an area hospital, the place he died.
“Final night time, a toddler’s life was minimize too quick by a mindless act of gun violence,” Mayor Rex Richardson mentioned in a tweet on Wednesday. “As a father, I'm heartbroken. We'd like our kids to really feel secure in our metropolis. We must not ever settle for this as regular. We should defend and prioritize our youth.”
Final night time, a toddler’s life was minimize too quick by a mindless act of gun violence. As a father, I'm heartbroken.
We'd like our kids to really feel secure in our metropolis. We must not ever settle for this as regular. We should defend and prioritize our youth.
My coronary heart goes out to the household and… https://t.co/rNRteKSlgCpic.twitter.com/uEMoP5zKxp
— Workplace of Mayor Rex Richardson (@LongBeachMayor) Could 10, 2023
Luis Almeida and his household have lived within the neighborhood of Lewis and Hill St. for greater than 40 years. He mentioned that police exercise within the neighborhood isn’t unusual however this had been the primary time that they had knocked on their door to ask a couple of crime that occurred proper exterior his residence.
“I didn’t hear something, however my spouse she mentioned she heard gunshots. However as typically as this neighborhood lights fireworks she couldn’t inform the distinction when she was watching TV final night time,” Almeida mentioned in Spanish.
Almeida mentioned that he and his spouse, Berta, know a couple of of their neighbors fairly effectively and didn’t recall any children who're the age of the victims.
“Hopefully extra data is discovered quickly as a result of all of it looks like a tragic state of affairs,” he mentioned.
Round 60 individuals gathered for a candlelight vigil Wednesday night to supply their condolences to the households affected, together with younger youngsters.
“All of us have to be courageous,” mentioned 10-year-old Jeron Inexperienced, an in depth buddy of Eric.
Compton resident and second cousin to Eric, Mel English mentioned throughout the vigil “at this level it’s disbelief as a result of the boy was so younger, good, charming and we didn’t know what he’ll turn out to be.”
“Angie (Eric’s mom) simply bought married lately and as an alternative of happening a honeymoon, the entire household was speculated to go to Chicago this morning to have a good time with the youngsters,” English mentioned. “She had all of the tickets and earlier than she might take the household, she bought the cellphone name. All of us bought this cellphone name. It’s a tragic day.”
Reporter Christina Merino, contributing author Howard Freshman and Metropolis Information Service contributed to this report