| (July 24, 2021, 5:40 a.m., updated 4:15 p.m.) -- Two men were shot -- one is dead, one is wounded -- in the heart of downtown Long Beach's "Entertainment District" in the area of Broadway and Pine (200 block N. Pine) (CD2/Allen.) In a midday release, LBPD says it's investigating the shooting as "possibly gang related" and the shooting victim wounded (not killed) was an unintended target.
It's the second multi-victim shooting in the downtown Long Beach area since a gang related June 26 drive-by triple shooting in the Pike (south shore) area and follows multiple other shootings in the past several weeks in impacting mainly Long Beach working class neighborhoods (central and north Long Beach.) [UPDATE] In a midday release (July 24) LBPD states: On July 24, 2021, at approximately 1:20 a.m., officers assigned to the Downtown Entertainment District heard gunshots nearby. Due to increased staffing in the area, officers responded within seconds to the 200 Block of North Pine Avenue. They located two victims, which later resulted in the death of a male adult. Officers immediately observed a crowd gathering around a male adult laying on the sidewalk suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to the upper torso. A person identified as an off-duty nurse rendered aid to the victim until Long Beach Fire personnel arrived and transported the victim to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. The decedent has been identified as 36-year-old Javante Fearence of Long Beach. Officers also located a second male adult victim suffering from a single gunshot wound to the upper torso. The second victim was transported by Long Beach Fire personnel to a local hospital, where he was treated and released. Based on the preliminary investigation, detectives believe the suspect, a male adult, and the victim were involved in a verbal dispute when the suspect produced a firearm and shot the victim. The suspect fled on foot northbound on Pine Avenue. The second shooting victim is believed to have been an unintended target. The murder is being investigated as possibly gang-related. Our Department will continue to utilize our investigative and patrol resources, plus all available technology to bring the person responsible for this crime to justice. Detectives are reviewing video footage evidence in the area in the hope of identifying the suspect. In an abundance of caution, the Police Department will continue to have increased staffing in and around our downtown entertainment areas.... [Scoll down for further.] |
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