Reports of shots fired brought a large police response and a containment (blocked streets) perimeter; a search resulted in three subjects detained and one suspect identified and arrested (a man/adult.).

In preliminary information, LBPD Public Information Officer Jennifer De Prez says officers responded to the 1500 block of Chestnut Ave. at about 3:50 p.m., found bullet casings but no persons hit. [LBREPORT.com is aware of third party information indicating an individual may have been wounded i the shooting, as of 8:30 a.m. Dec. 10, LBPD PIO Shaunna Dandoy says LBPD has no information to confirm this.]

Since Nov. 5 when Mary Zendejas was elected to fill the vacated 1st Council district seat (receiving fewer than 900 total votes after a $100,000+ campaign including major financial support from LB's police officers union), the mainly working class Washington Middle School neighborhood has experienced three shootings: on Nov. 20, a no-person-hit shooting (1400 block of Chestnut Ave.); on Nov. 22, a homicide (1500 block of Henderson Ave.); and now on Dec. 9, midafternoon gunfire.

From Nov. 1 through Dec. 1, LB's 1st and adjacent 6th Council districts combined had a per capita shooting total that approached that of Chicago (LBREPORT.com coverage here.)

[Scroll down for further.]

The first map below shows shootings cumulated from Jan. 1, 2018 to Dec, 9

Jan 1, 2018 to date: Red Xs=homicides; Blue Xs= shootings, person wounded; Brown Xs=shots fired at victim(s), not hit; Purple Xs=shots at occupied residence/vehicle; Green Xs= shots at unoccupied vehicle/residence; Grey Xs=shots fired (no hit, no target identified); Orange X's=non-fatal stabbings; Blue * asterisk=victim hit, police unable to locate crime scene. Map is unofficial. NLB.shootings are on separate map.

For context, the second map shows shootings cumulated from Jan. 1, 2014 through Dec. 31, 2017.

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Like Zendejas and her predecessor Gonzalez, 6th district incumbent Vice Mayor/Councilman Dee Andrews is supported by the leadership of the LB police officers union.

Budgets recommended by Mayor Garcia and approved by Councils that included Gonzalez and Andrews haven't restored 186 citywide deployable officers -- including LBPD's former field anti-gang unit -- despite City Hall collecting roughly $60 million in General Fund ("blank check") revenue annually under the Measure A sales tax. Earlier this year, the Council voted without dissent to approve a new three year contract with the LBPOA, providing pay raises and other benefits.

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Earlier this year, Vice Mayor Andrews joined a unanimous Council in declaring a "fiscal emergency" to put a measure on the March 2020 ballot (supported by Zendejas) that would enable City Hall to impose the Measure A sales (that city officials told voters in 2016 aid would be "temporary") permanently for any General Fund spending items a Council majority subsequently chooses.

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