California
Rapper shot to death over a fight during a flight
LOS ANGELES, CA — A 23-year-old man has been detained on suspicion of murder following the shooting death of up-and-coming rap artist Dolla outside a Los Angeles shopping mall, police said Tuesday.
The Los Angeles Police Department said Aubrey Louis Berry, 23, of Georgia, had been booked for murder and was being held on one million dollars bail in connection with the death of Dolla, real name Roderick Anthony Burton II.
Atlanta-based Burton, 21, was shot in the head in broad daylight on Monday afternoon as he waited outside the Beverly Center, a busy shopping hotspot which is popular with tourists.
Burton’s publicist Sue Vannasing told the Los Angeles Times that Burton had got into a fight with a passenger during a flight from Atlanta. “They followed him to the mall because they knew he was coming,” Vannasing told the Times.
Los Angeles Airport Police officers identified a male passenger matching the description at an airport ticketing desk who was later discovered to be armed. More on Google news
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Man shot and killed in his front yard
San Diego -A man was shot in the head and killed yesterday in Logan Heights, and two men were detained a block away for questioning, San Diego police said. The shooting happened about 6:15 p.m. on South 30th Street near Logan Avenue.
A resident reported that a man had been shot in a front yard of a residence. Officers stopped two men for questioning on Marcy Avenue about five minutes later. More on Sign On San Diego
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Inglewood police shoot, kill man at birthday party
Inglewood, CA – Inglewood police shot and killed a man who allegedly brandished a weapon early Sunday while officers were attempting to break up a birthday party, authorities said.
Police said officers responded to reports of a fight shortly after 12:45 a.m. in the 800 block of South Osage Avenue. Officers opened fire on Marcus Smith, 31, of Compton after he pointed a semiautomatic handgun at them, Lt. Mike McBride said.”
He had it in his hand. He drew it and pointed it in the direction of the officers,” McBride said. “So I would say that’s threatening the officers.”
One officer was shot in the right leg in the incident. He was taken to a hospital, treated and released, McBride said. Police suspect the officer was shot by Smith, but they need to conduct more tests on his gun to be sure, he said.
A woman who identified herself as Smith’s fiancee said she did not see him brandish a weapon. Kalonna LaCount said she and Smith were leaving the party together after police called on guests to disperse. LaCount said she and Smith were walking down a stairway when Smith slipped. LaCount said she then saw Smith’s body jerk as police fired their weapons.
“He had his hands in the air,” she said. “The more he stumbled, the more they shot.”
The Inglewood Police Department is under investigation by the Justice Department and the Los Angeles County Office of Independent Review over incidents in which officers have been accused of using excessive force. More on LA Times
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Richmond teen shot to death during argument
Richmond, CA – A Richmond teen is dead after someone pulled a gun during an argument.Police say the 15-year-old boy died after being shot multiple times as he argued with a group of friends around 6 p.m. Sunday.
Investigators are hoping witnesses will come forward. They’re offering a reward of $10,000 for information leading to an arrest in the case. More on Mercury News
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )San Jose man killed by police was mentally ill, father says
San Jose, CA – “Don’t kill him! He’s mentally ill!” That’s what Brian Duy Pham, 29, shouted as police officers rushed into his Berryessa neighborhood home just about noon Sunday, according to family members.
His brother, Daniel, had just attacked him with a knife.
27-year-old had allegedly moved toward police with a knife. Two officers first used a Taser to try to subdue him, then shot him with their handguns. He died at the scene.
Police Monday identified the officers as Matthew Blackerby, with two years on the force, and Brian Jeffrey, a three-year officer. Both are on routine administrative leave. The case is expected to be presented to a grand jury to determine if the officers have any criminal liability. More on Mercury News
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Man killed by police was carrying BB gun
Oakley, California – A 37-year-old suicidal man shot and killed by Oakley police officers Saturday night was carrying a BB gun that looked like a real Smith & Wesson handgun during the standoff, according to investigators.
The shooting happened about 7:50 p.m. when Oakley officers found Alan Openshaw near Lois and Mallard lanes after he had mentioned suicide and made threats toward police to dispatchers. He later led them on a pursuit that ended in the 900 block of Almond Drive when he exited the vehicle, put the gun to his head, and continued making threats to kill himself and harm police.
Officers used a 40 mm weapon firing high-velocity sponges in an attempt to disarm him, according to the sheriff’s office, which contracts to provide police services to the city. Openshaw then pointed the gun at police, and several officers discharged their firearms and shot him. More on Mercury News
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Couple, toddler son found shot to death in apparent murder-suicide
ORANGE, Calif. — A couple and their toddler son have been found shot to death in their Orange County apartment in an apparent murder-suicide, police said Wednesday.
An apartment manager who hadn’t seen the family in several days called police, who arrived Tuesday afternoon to find a 44-year-old man, his 42-year-old girlfriend and their 2- or 3-year-old son each dead with a single bullet wound to the head, Orange police Sgt. Mike Monjaraz said.
Investigators found a gun near the man and a suicide note he had apparently written, Monjaraz said.
“It appears that all three had been shot by the male,” he said. More on The Gaea News
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Berkeley police investigate shooting death
An 18-year-old man was found shot Monday night in the backyard of a home in the 1300 block of 67th Street.
Police said they responded to numerous 911 calls of shots fired in the area at 11:29 p.m. Paramedics pronounced the man dead at the scene.
Police have not released the identity of the man, nor could they say what he was doing in the yard or why he was shot. More on Inside Bay area
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )3 dead in California hospital shooting
LONG BEACH, Calif. – A hospital worker shot and killed two employees and then killed himself at a medical center Thursday, sending panicked people fleeing, police and witnesses said.
The gunman was identified as Mario Ramirez, 50, of Alhambra, who died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said. The victims were Hugo Bustamante, 46, of Cypress, who died at the scene, and Kelly Hales, 56, of Redondo Beach, who was taken to the hospital’s emergency room in critical condition and died several hours later.
Police Chief Anthony Batts said the gunfire erupted just before noon at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center. He said the motive remained under investigation but noted the violence came amid a flurry of recent shootings in the country.
“This is a trend of active shooters that you have seen nationwide,” Batts said at a news conference. “This is becoming a national trend, probably because of the tension that’s going on in our society today.”
Hospital spokeswoman Stacie Crompton-Hime said all three men worked in an outpatient pharmacy where Bustamante was the manager and Hales was the executive director. Asked if the shooting stemmed from a dispute or possible layoffs at the hospital, Crompton-Hime said there were layoffs last month but no other reductions were planned. More on Yahoo! news
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Man Fatally Shot At Bar Tuesday Night
Gilroy, California – Gilroy police found a 46-year-old man shot to death at the Aloha Club around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, a police sergeant said.
An employee at the bar at 7287 Monterey Road called 911 and reported the shooting at 8:36 p.m.
The man was dead when police arrived three minutes later, and the suspect had fled the area, Sgt. Jim Jillio said.
The victim has been identified, but his name is not being released pending notification of his family.
Jillio said he expects a description of the suspect and possibly a sketch will be released. More on CBS5
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Man, 20, shot to death by Friend
SAN DIEGO, CA – A 20-year-old man was found shot to death Wednesday afternoon in an apartment in San Carlos, police said.
San Diego police Sgt. Bryan Pendleton said that shortly after 3 p.m., police received a call about a shooting at the Canyon View apartment complex on Navajo Road near Jackson Drive.
Officers found the victim inside a bedroom of a third-floor apartment in a three-story building in the gated complex. Paramedics who responded pronounced him dead.
Initial reports were that a 25-year-old man called police to report that he had accidentally shot his friend, Pendleton said.
No one else was believed to have been inside the apartment when the shooting occurred, Pendleton said.
The friend was taken to police headquarters in downtown San Diego for questioning.
Homicide detectives were at the apartment investigating Wednesday night.
It was not immediately disclosed where on the body the victim had been shot or what type of gun was used. More on SingOnSanDiego.com
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Four Shot, One Dead at Korean Calif. Retreat Center
TEMECULA, California — A gunman opened fire at a Korean Christian retreat center on Tuesday night, killing one and wounding three others, authorities said.
The gunman was believed to be among the injured at the Kkottongnae Retreat Camp, and investigators were unsure what prompted the attack, sheriff’s spokesman Dennis Gutierrez said.
“We have some nuns that are very distraught,” Gutierrez said.
Gutierrez said at least two of the victims were critically injured. A nursing supervisor at the Inland Valley Regional Medical Center near the retreat said she had no information on any of the victims.
Police and emergency crews converged on the rural area off Highway 79 after receiving reports about 7 p.m. that a gunman had shot his wife, said Mario Lopez, a spokesman with the California Highway Patrol. He said one person was dead when they arrived and the other three were hospitalized.
Law enforcement officers interviewed people at what appeared to be a triage center for injured victims, but Gutierrez said the language barrier was making it difficult to get all the facts. He said investigators believe all the victims are over age 40.
The retreat is one of four U.S. branches of the Kkottongnae Brothers and Sisters of Jesus, a Catholic organization dedicated to serving the poor and homeless. It was founded in the city of Cheongju, South Korea, by Father Oh Woong Jin in 1976.
A woman who answered the phone at the group’s Lynwood branch on Tuesday night said she did not speak English well and declined to discuss the shooting.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( 1 so far )19-year-old man is shot to death at local nightclub
Walnet Creek, California – A 19-year-old Los Angeles man died after being shot during a dispute at a local nightclub.On Sunday, April 5, 2008, at about 1:05 a.m., at a club in the 5500 block of South Western Avenue, Damien Cordell White and the suspect became involved in a fight outside the club. During the struggle the suspect pulled a gun and shot White multiple times.
After being shot White got into his car and drove a short distance to a nearby gas station at Slauson Avenue and Western Avenue, where he collapsed. Los Angeles city paramedics responded and pronounced the victim dead at 1:30 a.m.
Detectives do not have a suspect description or motive in this case. The gun is still outstanding.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Detectives Kenneth White or Refugio Garza at (213) 485-1383. During off-hours, calls may be directed to a 24-hour, toll-free number at 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (527-3247).
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )2 men, 1 woman slain in Compton apartment
COMPTON, California — Homicide detectives Monday were investigating the fatal shootings of two men and a woman in an apartment.Neighbors contacted authorities after hearing gunshots in the apartment about 7:15 p.m. Sunday, said Los Angeles County sheriff’s Deputy Oscar Butao.
All the victims were declared dead at the scene. The apartment is behind several businesses on East Rosecrans Avenue.
Authorities did not immediately release the names and ages of the victims.
Judy Mock told KCAL-TV she was friends with one of the male victims and said he was not a gang member.
“I’ve been up all night crying and praying,” she said.
The killings stand in contrast to recent improvements in the violent crime rate in the 10 1/2-square-mile city in the south county area.
Its murder rate once made Compton to No. 1 on a list of the nation’s 20 most dangerous cities. But as of last month that rate had been cut by more than half, the lowest since 1985. More on Mercury News
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Family of 6 died from Murder-suicide
Santa Clara, California – Police found was one of the worst shooting scenes in Santa Clara history: six bodies were scattered around the three-story townhome, four were dead, including a42-year-old man whom police suspect was the shooter. Two handguns were found nearby. Paramedics performed CPR on a 4-year-old girl, but she too died at the scene. More on Mercury News
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Two killed in San Diego transit shooting
An apparent act of workplace violence in San Diego this morning left two employees of the Metropolitan Transit System dead and a third on life support, police said.
The incident began about 2:15 a.m. in the parking lot of the transit system’s downtown San Diego headquarters, where an employee shot two co-workers.
When police arrived, the shooter refused to surrender and pointed his weapon at officers, said Lt. Kevin Rooney of the San Diego Police Department.
Three officers opened fire, killing the man. One of the co-workers was dead at the scene, the other is on life support, Rooney said.
The gunman has been identified as Lonnie Glasco, 47, of El Cajon, a mechanic. The co-worker who died at the scene was Benjamin Mwangi, 37, of Lemon Grove, a foreman. The shooting reportedly occurred shortly after Glasco had ended his shift. More on LA Times
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )4 police officers killed in Oakland shootings
Oakland, California – At least three police officers in Oakland, California, were shot and killed Saturday afternoon after a man pulled over for a routine traffic stop opened fire and then battled SWAT officers at a nearby building, police said.
A fourth officer — also shot — remained in critical condition, and was pronounced dead two days later.
The man, a 26-yeoar-old Oakland resident, was later fatally shot in a shootout with a SWAT team in an apartment complex where he hid.
Authorities discovered the alleged gunman, 26-year-old Lovelle Mixon, had an extensive criminal history. At the time of the shooting, he was in violation of parole for assault with a deadly weapon, police said.
The incident began about 1 p.m. in east Oakland when two motorcycle officers tried to pull over a car for a “fairly routine traffic stop,” said Dave Kozicki, the deputy police chief.
Immediately afterward, emergency call dispatchers received reports that two officers were down at the scene and needed attention. They had been shot, Kozicki said.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Richmond teen died from shooting after party
As the birthday party broke up, a hooded man casually strolled up Ohio Avenue, approaching a knot of the dispersing friends of relations standing in the driveway. He reached in a pocket the way someone might retrieve a lighter. Only it wasn’t a lighter.
“He reached into his jacket, really casually, and pulled a gun,” Richmond police Detective Eric Haupt said. “He pointed it and started firing indiscriminately at people. He wasn’t shooting at anyone in particular.”
But he hit 16-year-old Gompers High School student Salvador Cortez Jr., who fell in the driveway and died a short time later.
The man then ran off, either jumping into a waiting vehicle or not, depending on the witness.
The killing happened about 12:30 a.m. Feb. 28 on the 3100 block of Ohio, where Cortez’s family held a small party to celebrate a relative’s 18th birthday. Friends, romantic partners and other hangers-on attended.
Depending on the witness, hard looks might have been exchanged between some at the party, and someone might have been ejected before the shooting, Haupt said. But without more cooperation, he said, his theory of the crime will remain just that — a theory.The department released a sketch of the gunman this week in hope that a witness will step forward and identify him.
Cortez became the third of four West Contra Costa Unified School District students killed by gunfire this year. Most recently, 16-year-old Ajaia Ruffen died in an April 3 drive-by shooting on 19th Street. Police do not believe she was the intended target. More on Mercury news
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Teen’s Random Shooting Killed Straight-A student
Sacramento, California –
Tyes, who was 15 at the time of the shooting, went to Del Paso Heights when two of his friends called him on a cell phone to say that somebody had threatened his younger brother at the party on Cypress Street.
“Get out here,” one of them told him, according to Deputy District Attorney Rick Miller. “Don’t be a punk.”
According to Miller, Tyes got a ride to the corner of Roanoke Avenue and Cypress Street, a few houses away from the site of the party. He then pulled out a semiautomatic handgun and fired 13 shots down the street, where Jelisa Office was sitting on the car she had recently purchased with money she earned on her fast-food job.
One of the bullets struck her in the head, and the girl who talked about going to Grambling State University died instantly.
In five days of testimony, the trial was marked by four teenaged witnesses – including three who gave police highly incriminating statements against Tyes – who refused to testify, drastically changed their stories from what they had initially told investigators, or out-and-out lied, according to the prosecutor.
Two of the witnesses had identified Tyes as the person who fired the gun the night of the killing. Another had told police that Tyes admitted to shooting the girl. The fourth lived in the house where police eventually recovered the murder weapon.
“These were people who were willing to come into court and, obviously to you folks, flat out commit perjury,” Miller told the jury in his closing argument. “A completely innocent girl lost her life, and they don’t care.”
Miller said the murder was “simply about showing up, respect, and not being a punk.”
Despite the story his friends told Tyes, there was no evidence that his brother had been threatened the night of the party. Miller said “there was no fight” and that “nothing ever happened” between Tyes’ brother and anybody else at the Cypress Street party.
Even then, Tyes “attacked people who had nothing to do with anything,” least of all the non-threat against his younger brother, according to Miller. More on Sacramento Bee
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Gun Deaths in the United States 