Once again racial conflict has flared up in the Harbor
Gateway area and now a second black youth has been
shot. A little over a year ago a 14 year-old girl's life
was taken as she chatted with friends. Fortunately
the racial conflict has remained in one area of the
county but if such unprovoked attacks continue then
it is sure to spread. What's your opinion?
A 6-year-old black boy was critically wounded Tuesday when he was shot in the head by suspected Latino gang members as the victim's family drove through the Harbor Gateway neighborhood on their way to an auto auction, Los Angeles Police Chief William J. Bratton said.
Two Latino males flashed gang signs before opening fire on the red GMC Yukon with six people inside, including a woman who is eight months pregnant, Bratton said. The rear window of the SUV was shattered by the gunfire, and one of the rounds hit the boy in the head, he said.
The victim was rushed by paramedics to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center after the shooting, which occurred about 12:40 p.m. on 227th Street between Halldale and Denker avenues, police said. The boy was listed in critical condition.
The shooting caps several weeks of violent incidents believed to involve gangs around Los Angeles County that have sparked both fear and anger in some neighborhoods. Earlier this week, a Los Angeles High School football player was gunned down in what authorities described as an unprovoked attack by gang members. Last week, a gang member opened fire at a bus stop in South Los Angeles, wounding eight people, including five children. Before that, a gun battle between LAPD officers and gang members outside a Glassell Park school caused much of the community to be locked down for hours.
Some -- but not all -- of the incidents involved violence between blacks and Latinos.
As of Saturday night there had been 67 homicides reported in the city since Jan. 1, compared with 54 for the same period last year, an increase of 24%, according to the LAPD. But violent crime in general continues a downward trend, with 5.1% fewer incidents reported so far this year.
Police said the family of the victim in Tuesday's shooting was not from the Harbor Gateway neighborhood, which is known for racial tensions between Latino gangs and black residents. Other passengers inside the vehicle were a man and a woman and two other children, ages 3 and 1 1/2 .
There were no other reported injuries, police said.
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1 comment:
I live 6 blocks from where this happened. I was in the backyard and heard sirens, and helipcopters were hovering overhead for over an hour. Oh gee, yet another manhunt.
The Eastside Torrance gang needs to be eradicated - and FAST. Our sidewalks, curbs and fences are covered with their spray painted spoor. They're easy to spot: black hoodies, skateboard / racing bike, travel in rat packs. The older ones tend to drive black bling cars that function as a rolling polka box. Interestingly enough, they never seem to progress beyond the My-Name-On-Coveralls jobs, should they live that long.
I am afraid to even tend the lawn anymore, because they have basically taken over the neighborhood, and cowards always run in packs, and shoot in the back. I have a pretty good idea of who the 16 year old is, since he threatened me once. Cameras come in real handy at times like that.
One HUGE problem here: the LAPD and Harbor PD have a p***ing contest on whose district it is. Try calling the cops sometime. You'll wait for HOURS. You call back when nobody comes, "Oh, that's LAPD jurisdiction, and vice versa." This goes back and forth and back and forth ad infinitum. Of course, since they consider this a gang hood, the indifference is palpable.
Today while driving down Normandie about a block from the incident, I had to do a double-take. Two bike cops were actually patrolling the neighborhood. Police presence in a gang hood? Who'da thought?
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