Nov-05-2009Teens arrested in shooting of girl at high school
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CONTENTS:SOURCESFIND OUT MORE ON THIS SUBJECTLong Beach police said they will announce an arrest this evening in connection with the fatal shooting of a 16-year-old Wilson High School student after the homecoming football game Friday night. Melody Ross was with a group of students when she was shot about 10 p.m near Ximeno Avenue and 10th Street, police said.
[1] Friends and family of a Wilson High School student who was shot to death Friday embraced and wept on the Long Beach campus Monday afternoon as balloons were released in her memory. Parents Chantha and Vanareth Ross held posters featuring pictures of their smiling daughter, Melody Ross, who was shot at Ximeno Avenue and 10th Street about half an hour after the conclusion of a football game Friday night.
[2] Melody Ross, a 16-year-old Cambodian teen, was shot and killed Friday, Oct. 30, in the 4400 block of East 10th Street in Long Beach as she left Wilson High School's homecoming football game, authorities said. The "Supergirl" Halloween costume that 16-year-old Melody Ross wore to the Wilson High School football game was befitting of her promising resume: honors student, pole vaulter and athlete, positive attitude, aspirations to attend UCLA. Those were the attributes that Ross' friends and family recalled Saturday as they gathered near the stadium gates at the Long Beach campus. They placed flowers and votive candles at the spot where she was fatally shot Friday night as she and her friends were leaving the Wilson homecoming game against Polytechnic High School. The daughter of Cambodian immigrants, Ross died at St. Mary's Hospital at 10:30 p.m., half an hour after she was shot, said her uncle, Sam Che.
[3] Long Beach police said they have no suspects and no motive in the shooting death of a Wilson High School student who police said was an innocent victim of gunfire in front of the school Friday night. The daughter of Cambodian immigrants, Melody Ross died at St. Mary's Hospital at 10:30 p.m., half an hour after she was shot, said her uncle. Ross and her friends were leaving the Wilson High homecoming game against Polytechnic High School when she was hit. They are not believed to be students at either school, and their identities were not released.
[4] Two reputed gang members were arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of an honors student after she left a homecoming football game Friday at Wilson High School in Long Beach, police said tonight. Melody Ross, who was also a track athlete, was gunned down as she and her friends were leaving the game.
[5] No arrests have been made in the case and police could not say if it was a gang-related shooting. Ross was a junior at Wilson, where she was on the track team and was an honors student enrolled in advanced placement classes, according to Long Beach Unified School District officials, who said they had extra security at the game against cross-town rival Long Beach Polytechnic High School. While others were out trick-or-treating, family members and friends gathered at the school campus, where they made a makeshift memorial of balloons, votive candles and flowers. "She was supportive of everybody and had spirit for everything in dance shows and football and everything," a friend named Carly told KCAL9. "It's so sad to see her gone so quickly because she didn't deserve it at all," friend Lauren told KCAL9. "She just was never sad. She always had that same smile on her face. You could be down on your worst day and you could just talk to her and she'd be able to bring you up so high," said Lauren. The teen's uncle, Sam Che, told the Los Angeles Times the family had emigrated from Cambodia to the United States in the 1980s. "We escaped the killing fields," he said.
[6] Ross had attended the homecoming football game between Wilson and Polytechnic High School Friday night, Oct. 30. She was sitting with her friend, 16-year-old Wilson junior Tori Rowles, near the crosswalk on Ximeno Avenue between Seventh and 10th streets when she was shot in the torso at approximately 10 p.m. Ross, an 11th grader and pole-vaulter on the track team, was an innocent bystander, according to the Long Beach Police Department. "It's a tragedy beyond belief," said LBUSD Board of Education member Jon Meyer, who represents District Four, an area that includes Wilson. "It's every parent's, every citizen's, nightmare to have something like that happen at or on school grounds.
[7] In the hours after initial news reports stated that a shooting had occurred around 10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30, on Ximeno Avenue after Wilson High School's homecoming football game against Poly, the parents, teachers, and close friends of Melody Ross knew that some bystanders were wounded and one remained in the hospital in "critical condition." It wasn't until the early hours of Saturday morning, Oct. 31, that friends and family received confirmation that Ross, 16, a junior at Wilson High School, was dead as the result of injuries sustained from a bullet wound in her torso. Ross' best friend, Tori Rowles, 16, also a junior at Wilson, said she was cheering in the homecoming game Friday night and Ross was in the stands. Rowles, who described the two as "inseparable," said they met up immediately after the game around 9:30 p.m. and walked in a crowd of people to the crosswalk at Ximeno Avenue when Ross said she was tired.
[8] Co-principal Sandy Blazer said the game and all the homecoming activities ran smoothly and without incident. Until the shooting, she said it had been a banner day LONG BEACH, Calif. -- Friends and classmates of Wilson High School junior, Melody Ross, 16, gather on Ximeno Ave. between 7th and 10th streets adjacent to Wilson on Saturday, October 31, 2009 to mourn Ross s death in a Friday night shooting.
[9] Melody Ross died at the Saint Mary Medical Center. The men are in the hospital; their injuries have been deemed non life threatening per the Press Telegram. The shooting occurred at about 10 p.m. Friday, October 30, just off
campus at Wilson Classical High School in Long Beach, near Ximeno Avenue and 10 th Street, Long Beach, CA. Melody Ross had attending the football game with her sister Emily.
[10] Pratt said many teens carry cell phone equipped with still and video cameras and are hoping that a student at the scene photographed or filmed the shooting, or possibly tensions that led up to 11/2/09 - Students stand in silence at a memorial that was setup for 16-year-old Melody Ross in front of Wilson High School Monday morning, the first day of school after the tragic shooting that took the life of Melody Ross and wounded two others, Friday October 30, 2009, after a Wilson High School football game at the Long Beach school.
[11] Detectives with the Long Beach Police Department continue to search for information that may help them identify the shooter that fired into a group outside Wilson High School following a football game on Friday night, injuring two males and killing 16-year old Wilson student Melody Ross.
[12] The Long Beach Police Department has confirmed that two separate shootings have taken place Friday night, one following a football game at Wilson High School and one officer-involved shooting in downtown Long Beach. "LBPD is the finest law enforcement agency in California and I have no doubt they will find and arrest the criminals who committed this horrific act.' I've been in constant contact beginning last evening with Deputy Chief Luna, City Manager Pat West, both Wilson Co-Principals, LBUSD Board Member Jon Meyer and concerned parents.' All City resources will be available for Wilson High School to access both over the weekend, and continuing as necessary.' The City of Long Beach and LBUSD will team up to do whatever is necessary for the students and their families. Having a daughter who recently graduated from Wilson High, I feel a personal connection to the family who lost a daughter as a result of this atrocity."
[13] LONG BEACH, Calif. — A 16-year-old girl died and two men were wounded after being shot following a football game at a Southern California high school. Long Beach police Sgt. Dina Zapalski says it's unclear what led to Friday night's shooting at Wilson High School.
[14] It took just five days to arrest a suspect in the shooting death of Wilson High School student Melody Ross. Police arrested two 16-year-old gang members Wednesday afternoon, including one they identified as the person who shot into a crowd Friday night after the Wilson-Poly football game at Wilson's stadium.
[15] Melody Ross was gunned down at about 10 p.m. as an unknown suspect sprayed a crowd of hundreds of people leaving the campus following the football game between Wilson and Poly High School. The 16-year-old AP student and track athlete was hit once in the rib cage as she stood near a cross walk on Ximeno Avenue, between Seventh and Tenth streets, and pronounced dead at St. Mary Medical Center shortly after her arrival, authorities said. Two men were also shot that night, one 18 and the other 20, but both are expected to survive.
[16] Mourning students at Long Beach's
Wilson High School gathered Monday by the pavement where classmate Melody Ross was shot after the homecoming football game. Leaving handwritten notes to Melody and her family, the teenagers lighted candles and shed tears as they remembered the bubbly 16-year-old.
[17] Honors student Melody Ross, 16, was shot and killed after Friday night's homecoming football game at Wilson High in Long Beach. The L.A. Times ran another
front-page story criticizing the management of the Station Fire, this one siding with firefighters who wanted other decisions made. Author Michelle Huneven wrote the Lives column in Sunday's New York Times Magazine, about getting her father to stop driving.
[18] A young life was cut short Friday night when a gunman, firing into a crowd at Wilson Classical High School in Long Beach, killed 16-year-old honor student and athlete Melody Ross and wounded two others. There are no words that describe the senselessness of this act, just as there are no words to describe drive-by shootings when innocent bystanders - some inside their own homes - are gunned down. Senseless and tragic don't even begin to describe these acts of brutality. Some will say that this is just another reason for tight regulation of handguns and other instruments of destruction. They say that only when guns are confiscated, and taken off the streets, will these slayings be stopped.
[19] Dylan Vassberg, a classmate of Ross's, created a Facebook page titled, "RIP Melody Ross," on Saturday, Oct. 31. With more than 2,500 members as of Tuesday afternoon, comments from those who knew Ross and those who only knew her as a victim told of Ross's impact on the school and the Long Beach community. Terry Kennedy, the girls' track and field coach at Wilson for the past 18 years, said he met Ross as a freshman and got to know her better last year when she began pole vaulting. Kennedy, who described Ross as an outstanding student, pleasant, and sweet, also attended the homecoming game at Wilson Friday night, but said he had driven away before the shooting.
[8] Friday night's shooting jolts parents who consider campus to be the safest school in Long Beach. Odell Smith, 16, covers his face and grieves with fellow Woodrow Wilson High students at the spot where Melody Ross was shot and killed.
[20] Nearby a dispute broke out. Suddenly, a gunman fired into the crowd and a half-hour later Melody, who was not unlike a real-life Supergirl, was dead from a gunshot wound in her torso. An Advanced Placement and honors student, a pole vaulter on the track team, the best friend to a number of classmates, the daughter of Cambodian Killing Fields LONG BEACH, Calif. -- Melody Ross, 16, who was killed Friday night in a post-football-game shooting at Wilson High, is shown in a friend's picture posted at the scene of her death Saturday.
[9] A $10,000 reward will be offered for information related to the shooting death of 16-year old Wilson High School student Melody Ross, who was killed on Friday night as she was leaving a football game with friends.
[21] Tori Rowles, 16, sat next to Ross' mother, Chantha, on folding chairs in the family's back yard as the A photo of Melody Ross, 16, who was fatally shot and killed by a stray bullet on Friday, was placed at shrine near the site of the fatal shooting. The night of the murder, Ross, Rowles and Kat Mokry attended a homecoming football game at their high school, Wilson Classical High School. After the game ended about 9:30 p.m., Mokry left Ross and Rowles sitting on a curb trying to figure out how they could get to BJ's for a dessert.
[22] Melody Ross had attended Friday night's homecoming game at Wilson High School dressed in a Supergirl costume and was described by police as "an innocent bystander who was not involved" in the dispute that triggered shootings following the game.
[6] LONG BEACH -- Police have arrested two 16-year-old boys for the murder of an honor student gunned down at her high school homecoming game last week, authorities confirmed Wednesday. Long Beach police did not identify the suspects Wednesday because they are minors. Police say the teens, both reputed gang members, will face charges connected with firing multiple rounds into a crowd during a brawl at Woodrow Wilson High School Friday night.
[23] LONG BEACH - Police are looking for information related to the shooting death of a 16-year-old honor student near Wilson High School after the homecoming game and hope people took photos or videos.
[22] Police in Long Beach Wednesday night announced the arrest of two 16-year-old reputed gang members for the shooting death of an honors student last week after a homecoming game at Wilson High.
[24] Friends and family gathered today at Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach to mourn the death of a 16-year-old honors student and track athlete who was gunned down as she and her friends were leaving a football game the night before.
[25] Long Beach - A 16-year-old honors student, attending a high school football game in a "Supergirl" Halloween costume, was fatally shot on a Long Beach street Friday night, police said Saturday.
[26] LONG BEACH - While most young people were celebrating Halloween Saturday night, classmates of a 16-year-old honors student fatally shot outside a high school football game in Long Beach were in mourning.
[6] LONG BEACH - Grief counselors were at Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach on Monday to comfort classmates of a 16-year-old honor student fatally shot following a high school football game.
[27] LONG BEACH - The Wilson High School campus was rife with rumors Monday, just three days after a 16-year-old honor student and innocent bystander was gunned down when a fight broke out following a football game between Wilson and Poly High.
[28] "The school safety office has sustained some cuts," Eftychiou said. Even if the department had been fully staffed, the district would not have sent more officers to Wilson than it did Friday, as four officers represents an above-average deployment for that kind of event, he added. The district has occasionally hired Long Beach police officers to work games at Wilson - about once a season - when LBUSD officials have received information "about community tensions," he said. "We had no inkling of anything like that before this game," he added. The school district pays to station an LBPD officer at each of its major Long Beach high schools during the day, but those officers don't work football games, he said. Those officers work 10-hour days, Monday through Thursday, and don't work Fridays, he added.
[28] The Long Beach Police Department had four or five East Division patrol units dedicated to working in the neighborhood throughout the game, Zapalski said. The Long Beach Unified School District deployed four of its armed school security officers, said district spokesman Chris Eftychiou. Normally, two district armed officers are assigned to football games, but that number was doubled Friday at Wilson because that game was sold out, he added. "It was sold out," he said. "It was homecoming.
[28] Long Beach Police spokeswoman Sgt. Dina Zapalski said a shooting occurred outside Wilson High School in Long Beach tonight at about 10 p.m., just as people were leaving a football game between Wilson and rival Long Beach Polytechnic.
[29] The girl, a student at Woodrow Wilson High School, died at a hospital. It was unclear what led to Friday night's shooting at the school in Long Beach, police Sgt. Dina Zapalski said.
[30] Two high school football games ended in tragedy and chaos Friday night, when three teens were shot in Long Beach after a match-up between Long Beach Poly and Wilson High and when a brawl in the stands ended Gardena High's homecoming game against Narbonne High.
[31] Ross, 16, was fatally shot following Friday night's homecoming game at Woodrow Wilson High School in Long Beach.
[32] Shots rang out around 10 p.m., as people filed out of the Woodrow Wilson High School homecoming game in Long Beach, California.
[33] To provide information, people are asked to call 570-7244. The other question being asked -- and asked quite loudly by some parents at Wilson -- is if there was enough security at the game to prevent this shooting. If not, why didn't the school district pay for more? That likely will be a hotly debated topic at the next Wilson Parent Teachers Association meeting, scheduled for Monday, Nov. 9. Because this was a sold-out homecoming game, the Long Beach Unified School District had increased its security presence, according to LBUSD spokesman Chris Eftychiou. LBUSD had four of its uniformed, armed and academy-trained security personnel, plus 19 campus security officers (not armed), 10 school administrators and 15 teachers, Eftychiou said.
[34] The lieutenant said that East Division Patrol officers were the first on scene at Wilson following the 911 calls for help, and the patrol officers did not need to call in for backup from any of the other divisions. Students and their parents questioned why there was no visible police or school security presence outside campus as the game let out, noting that the visiting team was funneled out of the gate next to the shooting scene on Ximeno. Those at the scene said it was chaotic, estimating a crowd of several hundred people filled the area walking to cars or home after the game, or hanging out in the area waiting for rides and looking for friends. "If there's going to be a fight, everyone knows it's going to be after the game, not on the field or on campus and not while they're at homecoming," one parent said.
[28] Today, in the first day of school since the incident, a memorial continued to grow and overflow with flowers and messages of love near the site of the tragic shooting. Wilson students ' many of them abandoning the school's usual red and white uniform for black attire ' huddled around the site and consoled each other, many leaving more flowers or taping handwritten notes to a crosswalk pole. Many students at the memorial were near the site when the shooting occurred.' A large crowd was leaving the campus football field following a game between Wilson and Poly, and Ross sat down on the curb of Ximeno Avenue with friends as they waited to attend the Homecoming dance. That's when witnesses say a male in a grey hooded sweatshirt opened fire without warning.
[21] Ross was dressed as Super Girl for the homecoming game against Polytechnic High School, which was attended by a number of students decked out in costumes on the day before Halloween. The day after the shooting, Ross' classmates gathered at a pedestrian crossing along Ximeno near the football stadium exit to leave flowers and light candles by the curb where she was shot. They hugged each other, and some sat against the school fence or on the grass with their heads down, pondering the loss of a friend they described as polite and well-liked.
[5] Monday marked a day of mourning at Wilson High School following the shooting death of 16-year-old honor student Melody Ross. In the quad, Ross's family, including her parents, Chantha and Vanareth Ross, joined Wilson students clad in black to launch balloons in her memory. In the classrooms, counselors talked to students who took courses with Ross in an effort to help them work through the difficult situation. At the location where Ross was shot, groups of students congregated around a makeshift memorial filled with candles, flowers, stuffed animals and photos of Ross in order to remember and pay their respects to their classmate.
[7] Police patrol cars circled the school. The principal's voice cracked as she addressed students. Grief counselors met with a steady stream of teenagers, who wore black shirts in Melody's honor and released balloons during a lunchtime ceremony attended by her parents. "It's a large high school, but it's like a family and it feels like we've lost one of our own," said Chris Eftychiou, spokesman for the Long Beach Unified School District. "The students are very resilient and they are helping each other get through this difficult time."
[20] We can either come together as a community or relocate to a safer city with less diversity. I felt as long as my children attended certain schools, had good friends and avoided certain neighborhoods they would be safe in Long Beach, not now. City council needs to issue mandatory police presence at every high school football game in Long Beach because these are such large events that draw big crowds. Most violence in these events are going to occur after the game and outside the campus perimeter or a few blocks away, police should know this and prepare for this. It is the city's job to make us at least feel safe which I do not. Once on the campus I believe students feel safe but I know once they stray just outside the gates then there is a sense of danger. My own children tell me this. How about having extra patrols around the neighborhoods after this event? I will be very upset if nothing happens as a result of this. I'm set to blog my thoughts on this later tonight, but when I passed by on Saturday, everything was quiet.
[12] Listen to one another, love one another, have strong character and faith in the path you take. Someone knows who did this horrible crime, his friends, his family, people know. Hiding this murderer is as cowardly an act as his firing into a crowd and killing this young woman. Why do people protect these criminals? It just gives them more power in their neighborhoods and community. Turn them in. Do what is right, do not reward this murderer by keeping his secret. I have shivers going up and down my spine just reading this and seeing the images. My heart goes out to her family. Grace Brethren prayed for her family yesterday. This is heart wrenching. It was NOT the wrong place or time, it shouldn't be, why would anyone say that?!!! We were all at an exciting H.S. football game that turned tragic due to the cowardly act of individuals that have no respect for life or regards for others. I'm so mad and upset to think that our children can't safely attend a school function here in Long Beach with us parents having to worry if they will come back alive.
[12] My siblings and I all graduated from Wilson as well. I have seen both schools change so much over the years, and I have seen neighborhoods change as well. I see this horrific tragedy as a reflection of the gang violence that has been allowed to proliferate throughout my home town of Long Beach and throughout the whole United States. I don't know if it is political correctness or what is holding up the fight, but this has got to stop. The police know who the gang-bangers are, the teachers know who the gang-bangers are, the parents know who the gang-bangers are, and the kids know who they are as well. People are afraid to speak out against this, afraid to point a finger, afraid to aknowledge what is right in front of their eyes! Parents: wake up! If you know your kids are involved in this. turn them in! Friends, neighbors, siblings, homies, you know that someone knows what happened to Melody. Turn them in! Some sick person did this, and as many of you have pointed out, this is where the finger needs to be pointed for the blame.
[12] Wilson High junior Melody Ross was decked out in a Supergirl costume in Long Beach. She and her friends were among hundreds of students just leaving the Wilson High homecoming football game against crosstown rival Poly High.
[35] Long Beach police said Monday that they have not yet made an arrest in the death of 16-year-old Melody Ross, who was caught in the gunfire after the Poly-Wilson football game.
[11] We were out runnin' around Sunday, and we drove by the school on Ximeno. I started to cry when I saw the flowers and balloons at the crosswalk - there are many more than in the pictures attached to this article. This morning, when I asked my son if he wanted to take some flowers to add to the memorial. he said 'of course'. This is truly heartbreaking. Our sympathies go out to her family, friends, and everyone else touched by this terrible incident. One thing i do know is some changes need to be made, better lighting on Ximeno (it's so dark), LBPD presence at large events (there were not 1), and security cameras, until then my children will not be attending another large nightly football game, it could of happened anywhere and may of happened if all the above were in place but if were well lit with police presense and cameras maybe th ekiller would of thought twice. My heart bleeds for all her family/friends/and anyone there that night that had to witness this sensless act. rest in peace Melody Ross we are all so sad that you are gone.
[12] People with information, or with photos or videos, are asked to call police homicide detectives at 562-570-7244. Melody Ross, 16, who was fatally shot and killed by a stray bullet as she and friends leave the school's football game against cross town rival, Poly, on Friday, October 30, 2009.
[11] One parent of a Wilson High teen said it was clear the girl was dying. Speaking on condition of anonymity, he described how he held Melody's hand and implored her to "keep trying, keep working" while another man and a woman, both clad in Wilson High sweat shirts, took turns performing CPR and a young black man in his 20s did chest compressions. It looked as though the bullet pierced her upper rib cage on the right side, leaving a small bruised entrance wound roughly the size of a pencil eraser. There was no exit wound and not a drop of blood flowed from her fatal injury, he said. The girl's nostrils flared a few times as he talked to her, but her eyes stared straight ahead and her gaze appeared empty, he added. He remained by her side while paramedics worked on her and recalled them saying they could get a pulse, but that it would last only briefly. "It was a sad scene," he said simply. Another parent who had volunteered to work the game with his wife said they were just driving out of a makeshift parking lot on the school's basketball courts, across from the football field, when they heard a series of sharp pops. "It was my wife who said 'That's gunshots,"' he recalled, also asking that his name not be printed. "I turned and looked and I saw the gunman pulling the trigger, I saw three muzzle flashes," he said, noting that he heard between four and five gunshots before he saw the hooded figure firing the gun. Other witnesses reported anywhere from six to eight shots ringing and sending crowds of people screaming and running for cover. A friend of Melody's said she and the victim tried to find shelter behind a van parked near the intersection, but Melody had already been hit.
[28] LONG BEACH, Calif. — Police were searching Saturday for a person who shot and killed a 16-year-old girl and wounded two men when firing into a crowd following a football game at a high school in Southern California.
[30] Police described Ross as "an innocent bystander who was not involved" in the dispute that led to the gunfire. Ross was a junior at Wilson, where she was on the track team and was enrolled in advanced placement classes, according to school officials, who said they had extra security at the game against cross-town rival Long Beach Polytechnic High School.
[32] Wilson, where she was on the track team and was enrolled in advanced placement classes, according to Long Beach Unified School District officials, who said they had extra security at the game against cross- town rival Long Beach Polytechnic High School. The teen's uncle, Sam Che, told the Los Angeles Times the family had emigrated from Cambodia to the United States in the 1980s. "We escaped the killing fields," he said.
[27] There is now a $20,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the shooter, through Fourth District Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe's office. The questions start with who the shooter was and why he fired those shots. "(Investigators) don't have enough to say for sure (the shooting) is gang related, but some of those involved may have gang affiliations," said Sgt. Dina Zapalski of the Long Beach Police Department. Ross was not among those with gang ties, Zapalski was quick to add. She was an innocent bystander in the wrong place at the wrong time, Zapalski said.
[34] How do we know it was a gangster and not just some crazy nut doing a random shooting. Sadly this is just one in a long string of murders by gun fire here in Long Beach. For some reason certain citizens have decided it's okay to shoot others. Until the whole problem is addressed and people say enough to guns, it's not going to go away. The City Council needs to do something to make the police department more effective, to put dealing with the gangs here and the drug problems here in front of the silly things they waste time on. I am leaving this city in part because I am tired of hearing gun shots every night and tired of worrying if I go out will I be in the wrong place at the wrong time? I live in a decent neighborhood but it doesn't matter any more.
[12] Like I said, how do we know it wasnt just a crazy nut? Why do we assume it was gang related. To Jhz's comment about crime in Long Beach: You couldn't be more right! The L.B. city council should be ashamed of the way they approach crime in L.B. They should take a no tolerance on gangs and do a round-up like the Sheriff Dept. did in Hawaiian Gardens months back. They need to take over this city and take pro-active measures to curtail this ludicrosy. Could one of the posters please submit the URL that leads to the news story indicating that those investigating the crime know or suspect that is was gang related? All the articles that I'm reading are stating that dectectives do not have any leads. When I first heard this story my thoughts were "Some Harris and Klebold type kid got tired of being picked on by jocks and ignored by cheerleaders and decided to shoot up the homecoming game." All these comments read as if it is a well established fact that this was a gang related shooting. Adreana, from the people I know close to these events it sounds like it was gang related and includes at least one of the other wounded victims. I hope the PD has more information than what they have released and are protecting these victims as witnesses.
[12] Officers within the Long Beach Police Department noted, however, that the Youth Services Detail had arranged for two Long Beach police officers to work the Wilson homecoming game in addition to school police. They said the police department was told not long before the game that the school district could not afford to pay for the additional police coverage and did not feel it was needed.
[28] Several parents complained of a lack of Long Beach Police Department security at the game. School officials say they beefed up security for the event, which was sold out and highly anticipated. "It was actually extraordinary security," said Long Beach Unified School District spokesman Chris Eftychiou. He said the extra security included three LBUSD school safety officers, 19 campus security officers drawn from various schools, plus 10 administrators and 15 teachers.
[9] Because school officials had expected a large turnout for the football game, extra security guards had been present, Eftychiou said. This included three school safety officers from Long Beach Unified School District and 19 campus security officers from numerous schools within the district.
[22] Several hundred people had congregated there following the football game, according to Long Beach Police Sgt. Dina Zapalski. Wilson's Coach Mario Morales said he heard five to seven shots as he was leaving the stadium after the game against Long Beach Poly.
[23] LONG BEACH - A $10,000 reward expected to be offered by the Los Angeles County Board of Superivors for information leading to the arrest of the gunman who fatally shot a 16-year-old honor student following her homecoming football game will be raised to $20,000, officials said Tuesday afternoon.
[16] LONG BEACH - Police have arrested a 16-year-old boy for the murder of an honor student gunned down at her high school homecoming game last week, authorities confirmed Wednesday.
[36] A 16-year-old boy has been arrested in the death of Melody Ross, an honor student killed at her high school homecoming game last week, police said Wednesday.
[32] Two 16-year old males have been arrested in connection with last Friday night's shooting at Wilson High School that took the life of 16-year old student Melody Ross and injured two males aged 18 and 20.
[37] Many unanswered questions remain about the shooting that left 16-year-old Wilson student Melody Ross dead and two others injured. Ross was an innocent bystander hit with one shot, but that is all that it took to end her life, police said.
[34] I'''m sick to my stomach when something like that happens and you have an innocent kid involved,''' Morales said. He said he heard five toseven shotsas he was leaving the stadium after his team'''s loss to Poly. Ross' classmates gathered at a pedestrian crossing along Ximeno Avenue near the football stadium exit to leave flowers and light candles by the curb where she was shot. They hugged each other, and some sat against the school fence or on the grass with their heads down, pondering the loss of a friend they described as polite and well-liked. Ross, who attended the game with her 17-year-old sister, Emily, a senior at Wilson, died at St. Mary Medical Center about half an hour after the 10 p.m. shooting. At least one bullet struck her in the side, Che said.
[25] Contrary to reports that an altercation had occurred prior to the shooting, students today explained that the shooter was standing in Ximeno Avenue and opened fire, apparently pointing at the ground near the spot where Ross and her friends sat.' There was no previous altercation and it was unclear if the shooter was aiming for anyone in particular.' Nevertheless, Ross was struck in the torso and could not recover from the injury. Mayor Foster and the Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD) today announced they have created a fund to assist the family.
[21] "I got to know the family quite well," said Blazer of the Rosses, who are North Long Beach residents. "They have been nothing but graceful… I've been to their home, met all the relatives. It's a very, very loving family." Oct. 31, the day following Ross' death, Wilson administrators sent an e-mail to everyone in the school community notifying them of what had happened. Nov. 2, about a dozen additional counselors assisted Wilson staff as they talked to students enrolled in Ross's classes and provided support to those who visited the walk-in counseling center, Blazer said. The center will be available to students as long as they need it, she added.
[7] The Long Beach Unified School District's nonprofit arm has started a fund to help the family of Melody Ross with funeral costs and other family expenses.
[38] Many of us don't feel safe right now." The Long Beach Education Foundation has established the Melody Ross Memorial Trust Account, the proceeds of which will be used to help pay for funeral costs, provide assistance to her family and possibly establish a scholarship fund, among other purposes as determined by the Ross family and LBUSD Superintendent Chris Steinhauser.
[7] Long Beach Police Department investigators have no suspect, no clue what the suspect's motive was and no leads in the death of Melody Ross, said Sgt. Dina Zapalski, an LBPD spokesperson. "That's why we're asking for the public's help. If anybody saw somebody arguing, who were they?" she said.
[22] Does the death of Melody Ross mark a new era of intolerance for violent crimes in Long Beach? Personally, I think we all hope so. It is time to condemn all violent acts, as 2009 has seen the tragic deaths of other teenagers as well. A 15-year old boy was shot and killed in front of his own home in August.
[39] News media: Stop calling her's and other's memorials, "makeshift memorials." They are spontaneous memorials to loved ones, heart felt memorials for those taken away from us. May she be in a wonderful place now. It is sad to lose her. This is a sad time for our school, children and community. As a Long Beach resident and teacher I have loved my city but the violence in this instance is almost unbearable to handle. I weep because such a beautiful student with a bright future will not of had the opportunity like myself to achieve her dreams. It makes me cringe knowing that when my children soon attend High school they could be slain on the sidewalk by a thug with a gun for unexplainable reasons. I stayed in Long Beach because I wanted my children to grow up in a diverse city were they could have an appreciation and respect for others not found elsewhere. It's disheartening knowing we live with a risk in this city, whether we are at a park with our children or attending a school function.
[12] Cox also said the gangs apparently were at the game without any connection to either Wilson or Poly high schools, and the juveniles arrested apparently did not attend either school. "If there is one thing I would like to get out clearly, it is that this did not involve any rivalry between Wilson and Poly," Cox said. "It did not involve Asian gangs. It was a matter of an altercation between two rival Long Beach gangs."
[15] Ben Goldberg, who has a child who will enter Wilson next year and older children who have graduated, said the tragedy would be a black mark for the school and the city. "Wilson is a good school, a great school, a great program," he said. He added he has watched families move out of Long Beach when their children reach high school age because of fears of violence in the high schools.
[9] Long Beach City Councilman Gary DeLong said the two men were not students at either Wilson or Poly. The three shooting victims were taken to the hospital. where Ross died of her injuries.
[26] Two men -- an 18-year-old and 20-year-old -- were wounded in the shooting, which occurred about 10 p.m. as crowds of students gathered near Ximeno Avenue and 10th Street. The suspects are both 16-year-olds, one from the Long Beach, the other from Bellflower, the Long Beach Police Department said. Their names were not released because they are minors.
[5] Long Beach police interviewed students and others who were in the area near 10th Street and Ximeno Avenue. It's unclear whether the victims were students at Wilson or Poly.
[40] There were hundreds of people on Ximeno Avenue near Wilson High School about 10 p.m. last Friday night. The big homecoming football game against Poly had ended about 30 minutes before and students were milling around or heading to the post-game dance, while parents were pulling up to pick up their children.
[34] Among the most worrisome were claims that the shooting was tied to a rivalry between the two high Wilson High School student Melody Ross,16, who was shot and killed Friday October 30, 2009, after a Wilson High School football game, at Wilson.
[28] A 16-year-old girl died after a shooting following a football game at Wilson High School in Long Beach.Two people were wounded.
[40] Police were still interviewing potential witnesses at the high school on Monday, Cox said. Police have received good information and cooperation from the community but are looking for more, he and Zapalski stressed. "We want to build up enough evidence and enough witnesses so that this is a slam dunk," Zapalski said. Officers urged parents of Wilson and Poly students to talk to their children and find out if they were at the game and if their children saw anything or heard anything about the shooting that could help in the investigation.
[28] A number of parents and teens disagreed, saying a gunman looking for trouble would be less likely to act in an area saturated with marked police cars and uniformed security. Those same people also questioned how effectively the crime scene was handled and how efficiently police got suspect information out to other patrol units due to the chaos. Cox sought to quell their concerns, saying the evidence at the scene after the chaos had died down was consistent with what had occurred and did not appear to be tainted and the investigation was in no way damaged. He said he was notified of the high school shooting while he drove to the scene of the officer-involved shooting. When Cox arrived at Wilson a short time later, the scene was locked down and witnesses and evidence had been secured, he said. Typically during such a crime the first priority for police is the victims, he said. "We tell our officers and we teach our officers that the first order of business is the preservation of life," he said.
[28] At the time of the shooting, one armed LBUSD officer was in a car at the intersection while another armed LBUSD officer was on foot about 50 feet away from the crime scene. The officers were positioned there to help disperse crowds after the game, he added. "If they could have stopped (the shooting) they would have," Eftychiou said. "It happens very quickly. No matter how many law enforcement personnel you have, if somebody is determined to act irresponsibly, an incident like this can still occur." The district deployed three armed LBUSD officers to the Jordan High School football game, and an equal number to the Millikan-versus-Lakewood game, he said. Another district security officer was working the communications center, three were roaming in vehicles in the district and another was out sick, Eftychiou said.
[28] The young lady killed was an honor student and just a good person from what I have read seen on the news. When I was in high school some years ago, we had fist fights only, nothing like this at football games.
[40] When the police do go out and make mass arrest on gangs, everybody protest. There damned if the do and damned if they don't. This is a very sad story and unfortunately it is not the first shooting of a well loved Wilson student. Police need to be at every exit after the football games, especially when it is against such a rival. She seems to have been well loved and a great person. She will be with everyone forever. Her friends and family are in my prayers.
[25] Police have released no suspect descriptions and have said there are few leads, despite the shooting occurring in front of a large crowd on a busy street following a sold-out football game between Wilson and Poly High.
[39] LBPD spokeswoman Nancy Pratt said officers are hoping that witnesses come forward as the shooting took place in a crowded area near the entrance to Wilson, 10 th Street and Ximeno Avenue, after Friday's night's football game between the cross-town rivals.
[11] The shooting broke out shortly before 10 p.m. as Wilson's homecoming game against Poly ended and spectators streamed out of the school's gates. Ross was hit by one round while she and her friends stood by a crosswalk on Ximeno, between Seventh and 10th streets, that joins the school's east and west campuses.
[28] Friends and classmates of Wilson High School junior, Melody Ross, 16, gather on Ximeno Ave. between 7th and 10th Street adjacent to their high school to mourn Ross's death on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2009.
[30] UPDATE (Saturday, October 30, 2009 1:00pm) : The LBPOST.com has learned that the victim was Wilson High School student Melody Ross, a 16-year old honor student and pole vaulter on the track team.
[13] A photo of Wilson High School student Melody Ross, 16, left, that was left at a memorial in front of Wilson school Monday morning.
[38] SAD MEMORIAL. Students gathered in front of a makeshift shrine Monday in front of Wilson High School in memory of Melody Ross.
[34] "(Melody) just had the cutest smile that everyone remembers. It was perfect to be her best friend." Last summer, Rowles said she and Melody went to the mall, the beach, and spent time watching television, making jokes, and being typical teenagers "hanging out." The girls planned activities each weekend: on Halloween, they were supposed to go to a party in Huntington Beach dressed as football players, Rowles said. Rowles said she began telling students to meet at Wilson at 10 a.m. Saturday because she was going to start a memorial for Ross at the crosswalk on Ximeno.
[8] The 18-year old and 20-year old males who were injured will recover, but the murder of Ross has shaken the city and drawn the ire of many who have had enough of the violence. A makeshift memorial near the Ximeno Avenue location where the shooting occurred overflowed with flowers, candles and messages of love from friends and classmates of Ross this weekend. It was a symbol of the joy that friends say Ross had for life, but also a symbol of a community's compassion for one of their own. The more we learn about Ross, the more we take her murder personally. This can be seen at her memorial, where many messages and letters were from people who did not know the victim, but still felt compelled to express their condolences. It can be seen at Wilson High, where rumor is that students will collectively don black attire today in her memory.
[12] Schutt was teary-eyed after watching the balloon ceremony and said that it was frightening to have been so close to the shooting. "It could have been one of us. It's just really scary." More students came forward with their stories of what they witnessed at the scene of the murder, according to some teachers. The students may feel safer confiding to their teachers than to police investigators, said Chrishanne Sternin, a math teacher at the school. "They feel the love here. They feel secure here. so they feel comfortable with giving information," she said. All day, a steady stream of students paid their respects to Ross at the memorial outside the school. "She'd always have a smile," said Sherrel Vigilant, 14, who stood with friends at the memorial after school on Monday. "It was shocking," added Geovany Lopez, 14. He first learned about the murder from a text message a friend sent him on Friday night, he said, but it was too hard to believe until he saw the memorial.
[41] Ross was sitting on the curb talking to friends when the shooting took place nearby, according to Tori Rowles, 16, also a junior at Wilson. The names of the other two people shot are not being released as they are being treated as victims, Zapalski said. One is a 20-year-old male who has been released from the hospital, the other is an 18-year-old male still hospitalized and in critical but stable condition for his wounds. He is expected to recover, Zapalski said. The statements of these men -- who do not attend either high school -- have been taken and are being compared to the other evidence, but they are still considered victims of the shooting, Zapalski said.
[34] Zapalski said that even if the police department had stationed an officer at every intersection around the high school there is nothing to say the shooting, and Ross' death, could have been prevented.
[28] Sgt. Dina Zapalski said Long Beach Police Department officers are urgently seeking help. "We're really pushing for the public's help on this one, especially the kids," she said. "We have a lot of kids who were out there, and we really need help on this one." She said if anyone in the area was taking pictures or video of friends, police are desperately seeking their help.
[35] Ross, an innocent bystander, was killed. Her family and friends crowded into the Long Beach Police Department community room Wednesday night to hear Deputy Chief Bill Blair say a 16-year-old from Long Beach and another 16-year-old from Bellflower had been arrested that afternoon. Because they are juveniles, their names were not released. Blair said they would be charged today (Thursday) with murder and attempted murder.
[15] Eftychiou said that the district clearly saw the need for two additional armed officers. The district concluded that it couldn't afford to pay the rates required to hire two Long Beach police officers, he added. That's why LBUSD opted instead to add two more armed security staff than usual at Wilson Friday night, he said. "What is true is that we couldn't afford to hire the Long Beach police officers because they are $90 an hour," he said. "We did feel it was necessary to have two additional officers there," he added. "And that's what we did by going with our own armed officers instead of the Long Beach (Police Department) because it's more cost-effective."
[28] We are still seeking information, and anyone who can help is asked to call the homicide detectives at 570-4244." Acting Police Chief Billy Quach opened the press conference by saying he was proud of a department that had worked around the clock the last five days to break the case. He was followed by Vice Mayor Val Lerch, Third District Councilman Gary DeLong and Long Beach Unified School District Superintendent Chris Steinhauser. "We've received hundreds of calls from people asking how they could help," Steinhauser said. "I can say that there is no other place I would rather work, knowing how this community cares."
[15] The dance was locked down while police searched the campus for suspects, said Long Beach Unified School District spokesman Chris Eftychiou.
[30] "The atmosphere on the campus is somber," said Chris Eftychiou, spokesman for the Long Beach Unified School District. "She was a well-liked student, and everybody is banding together to support one another… It's clear the students are deeply impacted by this. It's unfortunate they have to deal with such tragedy at such a young age."
[7] At Wilson High today, a mass of black balloons was released in memoriam and one student explained that similar ceremonies will continue through the week.' Some reports have indicated that students at other Long Beach schools are also wearing black, an indication of togetherness felt across campuses citywide.
[21] Che said Melody had so much to look forward to. She had never had a boyfriend, had never been in trouble. Her parents had moved from the crime-ridden Central Area to a safer neighborhood in Long Beach for the girls' protection, but kept their daughters at Wilson because of its academics and safety. Che said he had planned to take Melody to Bible study Friday, but because it was a big game she was allowed to go.
[9] The teens were in different stages of grief, disbelieving, angry, bereft, numb. One friend, who was standing next to Melody when she was hit, wept inconsolably at times. She declined to talk to the press but told a parent "we didn't know what was happening. They just started shooting over there," she said pointing to an area just north of the crosswalk LONG BEACH, CALIF. -- Long Beach (Calif.)
[9] JHz - As to the rise of crime in Long Beach - it is on the rise everywhere. Higher unemployment and uncertain economic times usually bring with them more criminal activity. it's a fact of life that people who are scared and angry sometimes do stupid things. Another Parent - well said.
[12] "There was an argument between two groups of people and shots were fired into a crowd," said Long Beach Police Sgt. Dina Zapalski.
[6] The 16-year-old, whose name is being withheld by authorities, was pronounced dead after being transported to a local hospital, said Long Beach Police Sgt. Dina Zapalski. It is still unclear to police what prompted the shooting and who is responsible.
[31] The 18-year-old remained hospitalized Monday but is expected to survive, said Sgt. Dina Zapalski, a Long Beach Police Department spokeswoman.
[28] Again, far too many of Long Beach's children are being killed by gang members guns. It needs to be a #1 city priority to break up gangs. Perhaps the members of the LB Police Department should spend less time worrying about whether or not they are going to get paid for putting on their uniforms, and more time ridding the city of the types of hoodlums that perpetrate this sort of violence.
[12] My heartfelt condolences go out to the Ross family and the entire Long Beach community. I hope the police apprehend those responsible for this tragic act of violence.
[4] Today, counselors will attend each of the classes in which Ross was enrolled, according to Long Beach Unified School District spokesman Chris Eftychiou.
[22] Today, everyone is running to find answers. The rallying cry has been strong, as people have been brought together by their sorrow and their anger. Whatever their emotions, the goals are the same. In Ross' incredibly untimely passing, it has been encouraging ' beautiful, even ' to see Long Beach residents unite, with the beaming smile in her photograph shining down on the bouquets and the handwritten notes on Ximeno Avenue. It's easy to imagine that she would be pleased with the outpouring of love, the will to make this community a better place in the wake of tragedy.
[12] Ross and two men, ages 18 and 20, were shot about 10 p.m. Friday on Ximeno Avenue, next to the high school's stadium, after the game. The young men are expected to survive, but Ross died at a hospital from a gunshot wound to her side, police said.
[6] With all the police patrol in the world, I couldn't see how it would have prevented it." After Ross was shot, a school employee rushed over and applied pressure to her wound, and two parents who were spectators at the game -- one is a nurse and the other an emergency medical technician -- administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation, Blazer said. Blazer then rode in the ambulance with Ross to the St. Mary Medical Center, stayed with the family while she was in surgery and was there when the surgeon told Ross' family she had died.
[7] "We started to crawl behind a van that was parked at the curb and I heard Melody call my name," Ross said. "I turned and saw that she got shot in the lower right side." According to Wilson Co-principal Sandy Blazer, a school employee rushed to Ross and applied pressure to her wound and two parents who were spectators at the game administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
[8] Ross's parents were survivors of the Cambodian Killing Fields, immigrating to America after escaping the Khmer Rouge. Ruth Paris, 25, Melody's cousin living in San Bernardino County, said she was listening to the news Saturday morning when she heard about the Wilson High School shooting. Paris said she recognized the name of the high school as the one her cousins attend, but did not think that Ross was one of the victims in the shooting.
[8] A reward of $20,000 is being offered to anyone with information regarding the weekend shooting that killed 16-year old Wilson High student Melody Ross and injured two other males, according to Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe.
[39] Melody Ross was dressed in a "Supergirl" costume for the football game held the day before Halloween according to the Los Angeles Times.
[10] Melody Ross was in grade 11. She was taking
Advanced Placement honors courses. She also participated as a pole vaulter on the track team. The shooter in this murder is still at large. The Los Angeles Times notes that "It is not known if the shooting was gang-related. No arrests have been made."
[10] Melody Ross, a junior in advanced-placement honors and a pole vaulter on the track team,was randomly hit by gunfire that also injured two young men, police said. It is not known if the shooting was gang-related.
[25] Melody Ross was caught in the crossfire, and was described by police as "an innocent bystander who was not involved" in the dispute that led to the shooting.
[23] The search is on for the person that shot and killed 16-year-old Melody Ross, who police say was an innocent bystander.
[33] Melody Ross, an honors student and track athlete, was an innocent bystander as violence erupted after the game, according to authorities. Two men, 18 and 20, were also wounded in the cross fire but their injuries were not life-threatening.
[24] Honor student and track athlete Melody Ross was hit by a single round and collapsed near the Ximeno crosswalk, which sits between Seventh and 10 th Streets. She was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at St. Mary Medical Center. A coroner's exam completed Wednesday ruled her death was the result of a single gunshot wound to the torso and classified the death a homicide.
[36] An Advanced Placement and honors student, a pole vaulter on the track team, the best friend to a number of classmates and the daughter of Cambodian Killing Fields survivors, Melody Ross was 16 years old.
[35] Is the case of Melody Ross different? Absolutely. It occurred at a school, in the first place. The overwhelming show of love and support from her friends and fellow students have made this sad story impossible to ignore. It shouldn't have happened.
[39] We are on the corner of 3rd and Obispo 438-2931 We hold all in prayer and love. My sincere condolences go out to the family and friends of Melody Ross, and to the school administrators who must feel devastated by this tragedy.
[12] Family and friends of Melody Ross gathered at the home of the slain girl on Sunday.
[22] My heart breaks for the parents and family of Melody Ross, such a senseless tragedy. I can not believe this happened to you Melody. How could this happen to such a sweet girl, always nice and smiling.
[13] What has happened to my hometown? Poor Melody and her family. May she rest in peace. Much for all those griping that the media wasn't sharing details/photos/descriptions about the suspects. The police don't have any information on them at all yet. That's why investigators were asking for photos and video that may have been taken around the crime scene at the time of the shooting. Young undesirable males without jobs or studies are still young and male and would be attracted to a large gathering of young people. oftimes driving by with threatening music pumping from their tacky mid-'90's Celicac with the tinted glass and the Bad Boy decal. The music makes them feel virile because they are stupid. There is an urge to noticed. to be included no matter how dubious their credentials. They are frustrated that they are shunned by more accomplished peers. "Hey girl" they shout at a large group. In the next second they are glaring at the males in the group, who have done nothing to provoke them.
[4] JHz, statisticlly speaking crime is going down in Long Beach too. Statistics don't really matter when something like this happens. I didn't know Melody, but I mourn for her and for her family. This is happening everywhere--for a family to have escaped the killing fields for this--we have you in our hearts. This is frustrating, to decry this senseless killing by even more senseless humans and not being able to do a thing about it.
[12] The family fled the Khmer Rouge and the killing fields of Cambodia to move to Long Beach before Melody was born. One month ago, tired of the violence in their last neighborhood, near Anaheim Street, the center of Long Beach's large Cambodian community, the family moved to North Long Beach.
[20] Make donation checks payable to the Long Beach Education Foundation, with "Melody Ross Memorial Trust Account" noted on the memo line.
[38] An 18-year old was murdered not two weeks ago. Another 18-year old was killed outside his home in mid-September. A 15-year old boy was killed outside his home in the middle of the day last January. These were just the murders of teenagers. Ross' life was not the first to end too early in Long Beach this year.
[39] Today, there is no Wilson or Poly or Millikan or Jordan or Cabrillo ' there is just Long Beach, mourning after an innocent and senseless loss, an affront to the city and the community, a joyful life that ended too soon.
[21] Long Beach City Councilman Gary DeLong said the two other gunshot victims were not students at either Wilson or Poly. "It's a horrific event, and my heart goes out to the families," DeLong said.
[6] LONG BEACH (CBS) -- The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is expected to approve a $10,000 reward Tuesday for information in the fatal shooting of a Long Beach area honors student.
[42] The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is expected to approve a $10,000 reward today for information leading to the conviction of the gunman who fatally shot a Wilson High School student.
[17] The cause of the dispute that led to the shootings is still unknown. Mario Morales, football coach at Wilson High School, told the Los Angeles Times "It's very disconcerting.
[10] In the Wilson High School shooting, the LBPD confirms that three juveniles were hit by gunfire outside the football field on Ximeno Ave. One male and one female sustained non life-threatening injuries while one other female is in critical condition.
[13] Police are adding the shooting does not appear to be tied to the rivalry between Poly and Wilson. Both school and police officials said they want to sit down soon and discuss safety after football and other large campus events at night, and what can be done to prevent an incident like this in the future.
[34] UPDATE (Saturday, October 30, 2009 6:30am) : A press release from the Police Department now confirms that a 16-year old female has died from gunshot wounds sustained outside Wilson High School last night. She was pronounced dead after being transported to a local hospital. Her identity is being withheld at this time.
[13] Police were searching Saturday for a person who fatally shot a 16-year-old girl and wounded two men after a Friday football game at a high school.
[43] Police say the two suspects were arrested around 4:30pm today, and are members of a street gang that began fighting with a rival gang outside the school following a football game.
[37] The former star athlete was distraught that the violence occurred in the wake of a football game. Councilman Gary DeLong, who represents the district where Wilson is located, offered his condolences to the parents. "Having a daughter who recently graduated from Wilson High, I feel a personal connection to the family who lost a daughter as a result of this atrocity," he said. DeLong said he was confident police would find the gunman.
[9] On game day, spirits were high on campus; the largest number of students attended Wilson's homecoming fair, and the football game went off successfully, Blazer said. "The contrast to the day we had with our first-ever, all-school pep rally with the entire student body to a sold-out football game without incident, to right after the game having this," Blazer said. "…It was an act of violence that got a very innocent victim.
[7] Co-principal Sandy Blazer said the game and all the homecoming activities ran smoothly and without incident. Until the shooting, she said it had been a banner day at Wilson and that student involvement and spirit had been higher than she had ever seen. It was noted the shooting was off school property, although it was on a sidewalk adjacent to the school and a half-block from one of the stadium exits.
[35] Ross was dressed as Supergirl for the homecoming game against Polytechnic High School that was attended by many other students in costume on the day before Halloween.
[25] Ross was dressed as Supergirl for the game, which was attended by many other students in costume on the day before Halloween. "She was a really great person, super nice, really friendly with everyone," said Tori Rowles, Melody's best friend. "And she really did not deserve this." Rowles said she and Melody were sitting on the curb when they heard gunshots. They hid behind a van, but Melody had already been shot.
[23] Ross was an honor student and track athlete who was dressed as Supergirl for the Halloween eve game, friends and school officials said. "It's very disconcerting.
[30] Ross and friends were leaving the school s football game against crosstown rival Poly when Ross was struck by a stray bullet.
[9] The confrontation lasted no more than 10 minutes and resulted in five arrests. The continued troubles at local high school football games are causing area school officials to discuss the need for extra security presence during their weekend games.
[31] Summary of what is know as the greatest high school football game ever played.
[10] Many parents consider Wilson, an early adopter of school uniforms, the safest high school in the city. Tamura Howard of Signal Hill said her 14-year-old daughter previously attended a Christian school and that she believed Wilson is safe. "That's why I put her in this school, it has a reputation for being safe and it's in a relatively good neighborhood," said Howard, noting that her daughter attended Friday's game. "This has given me nightmares."
[20] Gunfire erupted around 10 p.m. as several hundred people filed out of the game against Wilson's archrival, Polytechnic High School.
[43] How horrible that within the context of what should be a wonderful high school experience, we have a senseless murder. Disturbing to me is my Wilson daughter's acceptance of this incident as an everyday risk. The notion that our kids accept that as part of their reality there are people who carry guns, and that innocent people can be shot, is horrifying to me.
[12] I would like to see the finale between Lakewood and Wilson held at Lakewood, with Wilson designated the home team. It's safer, and I haven't see any shootings happen there. The last things anyone would want is to see this thing happen again in the regular season finale. If they decide to have the finale held at Wilson, PLEASE, LBPD, beef up the security outside the stadium and have cops on the lookout for suspicious-looking people like the ones that took part Friday. I can't beleive this is happening to our kids-we can't even allow them to be kids first of all-they can't even attend their Homecoming game-let alone life without always having to look over their shoulder-what is making these kids so hateful towards others? Why do harm to someone you don't even know,and then what kind of person could live with the fact they caused hurt,pain,and maybe even death. its just so sad, we have to teach them to always be alert, and watch all their surroundings-you never know when you will be stabbed, jumped, raped, or even shot and killed. we are in a war zone and our kids are the victims.
[13] Rest in peace Melody and condolences to Melody's family friends and the Wilson community. Melody's death is such a tragedy. That Homecoming game should have been a great memory: The great cross-town rivalry, the big enthusiastic crowd, bands, cheerleaders, the Homecoming court, the dance and all the excitement of the event.
[12] According to Wilson Co-principal Sandy Blazer, campus security was augmented in anticipation of the sold-out homecoming game against Poly Friday night.
[7] Ross and two men were shot around 10 p.m. Friday night on Ximeno Avenue, next to Wilson's stadium, after the Friday night game. An 18-year-old and a 20-year-old man were also shot in the incident and both are expected to survive.
[26] "Everyone kept saying, 'Isn't it a good day to be a Bruin?' " But minutes after the game, shots were fired on Ximeno Avenue just south of 10th Street, striking Ross and two others who are expected to survive.
[20] On Halloween night, the day after Melody was murdered, two teenagers were shot at the corner of 59th Street and Atlantic Avenue. It was the third shooting in the area involving teens since the beginning of the school year.
[44] Ross was shot and killed Friday night in front of a Southern California high school.
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[31] I used to live on Ximeno Ave. right down the street from Wilson High School and walked past that intersection frequently.
[4] Gunfire erupted around 10 p.m., as several hundred people filed out of the homecoming game against archrival Polytechnic High School.
[30] A high school student should not be gunned down at there homecoming. This murder was committed by a absolute coward. Firing into crowd of kids like this.
[25] Ariel Almodovar, 16, walked with Ross to track and field practice every day. She was unable to bring herself to make that first lonely walk. She went to grief counseling in the school's career center. "I tried doing my homework last night, but couldn't concentrate," she said as she stood in front of the memorial. The counseling was good for the more than 15 students who attended the daylong session, she said.
[41] Brandi Palumbo, 14, said the memorial service was moving. "Thinking about (the parents) losing a child, it's so sad," she said. Palumbo said it was frightening to think that a fellow student could be suddenly taken away in such a violent act. "She was always smiling," Palumbo said of Ross. "I never saw her be sad, or mad or anything." Student Natalie Schutt, who attended the game, said she was close to the scene of the shooting. She saw the crowd move suddenly. At first, she thought it was just a fight.
[2] All three victims were taken to St. Mary Medical Center, where Ross -- a junior pole vaulter and honors student at Wilson -- died about half an hour after shooting. At least one bullet struck her in the side, according to her uncle, Sam Che.
[23] Although Melody's parents, Chanta and Vannarith Ross, did not visit the shrine at Wilson, cousin Han Yin, uncle Sam Che and older sister Emily Ross came by. "It hurts, it hurts bad," said Yin. When Melody's companion at the shooting called with the awful news, Chanta at first thought the voice was that of her daughter. Even at the hospital she refused to believe her child was dead.
[35] Although Melody's parents, Chantha and Vanareth Ross, did not visit the shrine at Wilson, cousin Han Yin, uncle Sam Che and older sister, Emily, came by. "It hurts, it hurts bad," said Yin. Che says he remembers escaping from Cambodia with Melody's parents in 1979 by walking through mine fields and past dead bodies to a refugee camp in Thailand. "It's so senseless," Che said.
[9] 
"I'm still in shock. I just tried to go on with my day -- that's what she would have wanted." Melody's parents were sequestered in their North Long Beach home Monday afternoon.
[20] Although there were hundreds of people leaving the campus, Long Beach police have no witnesses or suspects.
[17] According to police sources, the incident occurred at Wilson High in Long Beach on Friday evening.
[45] Five to seven shots reportedly rang out as the crowd left the stadium after crosstown rival Long Beach Polytechnic had defeated Wilson, 34-15.
[26] I also wonder if someone was firing during the chase because it sounded like the locations were different. Yup, I live right in the middle of this mess. I am leaving because I am tired of hearing gun shots in this supposedly safe part of Long Beach.
[13] Donations for the Ross family can be made online at
www.lbschools.net under Long Beach Education Foundation.
[8] A fund has also been established to aid the slain girl's family with funeral costs, said Stacy Toda of Long Beach Mayor Bob Foster's office.
[16] Two gang members are under arrest in connection with the fatal shooting a Long Beach girl.
[31] According to reports, another shooting incident occurred Friday night in which an unrelated OIS had taken place in downtown Long Beach.
[45] Chris: I live in Long Beach and I totally agree with you--render the ACLU powerless in defense of gang bangers as well. The police everywhere have to be nicey-nicey to the gang bangers for fear of trampling over their civil rights.
[25] The Long Beach police are asking for anyone with information on who may have pulled the trigger to call homicide detectives at (562) 570-7244.
[33] The young men, 18 and 20, who were struck suffered non-life-threatening injuries, said Long Beach Police spokeswoman Sgt. Dina Zapalski. Their identities were not released.
[25] The announcement will be made at news conference scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Long Beach Police Department headquarters.
[1] One of the alleged shooters if from Bellflower and the other a Long Beach resident, said police.
[24] There are cities not far from Long Beach where crime is not going up. They are also large cities. If they can deal with it, why can't Long Beach? I've lived here several years, I've seen what has happened.
[12] Melody was killed, after all, and the north Long Beach teens were just wounded. They were at a Halloween party. They live in -- dare we say it -- north Long Beach.
[44] A spokesperson for Ross's family said the family, while still clearly devestated, was grateful that arrests have been made. They also thanked the Long Beach community for an outpouring of support and comfort.
[24] The leadership of Long Beach needs to sends a clear message to gang-bangers and other criminals: you are not wanted in Long Beach, you are not welcomed and we will make you life miserable everyday that you remain."
[37] Donations can be made online at
www.lbschools.net under Long Beach Education Foundation or by check mailed to: Long Beach Education Foundation, 1515 Hughes Way, Long Beach, CA 90810.
[7] I haven't heard or seen any suspect photos/descriptions/sketches on any of the local TV stations or the Long Beach Press Telegram websites.
[40] There were six murders in the past 3 months in the same general area of Long Beach. this is the second murder this week. Until Law Enforcement realizes that this is war; Nothing will happen.
[25] Long Beach Fire Department authorities said Monday that the 911 call came in at 10:01 p.m. and the first LBFD unit, Light Force #14, was dispatched in less than one minute.
[28] LBPOST.com Managing Editor Ryan ZumMallen keeps up on all the current and breaking Long Beach news.
[21] LONG BEACH - Supergirl is supposed to be impervious to bullets. That's the stuff of comic books and cartoons.
[9] Eftychiou said extra security was on hand for the rivalry game but police told school authorities there was no indication the shooting had anything to do with bad blood between the schools. [30] "We are constantly being told to keep the cuts out of the classrooms. This shooting didn't happen in a classroom, and cuts have had to be made in recent years." Eftychiou added that parents should be asking questions, and they should be able to drop their son or daughter off at school for a game and expect they will get home safely. This tragedy has hit the entire district hard, he said. "The person who is responsible for this crime is the one who pulled the trigger," Eftychiou said. "We want to see him brought to justice."
[34] To have an LBPD officer at a game, the school district pays the police department $90 an hour per officer.
[34] The school district declined to pay the overtime cost for the uniformed officers assigned to the high schools to work the game and its conclusion.
[34] Morgan Johnson, said the incident showed that Wilson was not immune to violence. "It happens everywhere," she said. "It's not the school." She said that the shooting would not deter her from continuing to attend school games and events.
[41] After the shooting, police searched for evidence on the school's grounds near Ximeno Avenue. "It's a horrific event," DeLong said, "and my heart goes out to the families."
[26] The shooting itself took place on Ximeno Avenue, at the crosswalk halfway between Seventh Street and 10th Street that connects the east and west sides of the campus, according to police.
[34] The East Division had been investigating a carjacking and officer-involved shooting at 9:30 p.m. at Fourth Street and Cerritos Avenue, and some people questioned whether that had an impact on police response to the shooting at Wilson.
[28] Kreng Krich, a close family friend of the Rosses, acted as family spokesman. "They would like to express their gratitude to their family, friends, church family, the city, the police and the people at Wilson," Krich said. "Of course, they thank all the detectives who worked so hard.
[15] Blazer later rode with Ross in the ambulance to St. Mary's Medical Center. Rowles said she called 911 at 9:59 p.m. and was pulled away from Ross. Rowles said she was held at Wilson for police questioning until nearly 2 a.m. Saturday when she heard from one of her best friends that Ross was dead. Rowles said she couldn't believe it at first.
[8] Police have released no other information about the shooter. Police have interviewed hundreds of students from both Wilson and Poly, and they are encouraging parents to talk to their students about the incident and to come forward with any information, Zapalski said.
[34] Because students often communicate with friends via blogs, Twitter and other social media applications, police are monitoring that talk and following up clues found online, Zapalski said. "We're finding that with technology and the way things go, these are great investigative tools," Zapalski said. The department is devoting a lot of manpower to the case, with detectives out of downtown's homicide division leading the way and East Division resources tied in, she added.
[34] Zapalski said police would like photos or videos taken before, during or after the game.
[22] Zapalski did not have response times for when the police arrived on the scene at Wilson after the shooting.
[34] "When there is an officer-involved shooting anywhere in the city, most of the on-duty patrols go to that scene," Zapalski said. "This was ongoing, we had just called out SWAT at the time of the Wilson shooting."
[34] The shooting shocked faculty and students at the campus, a diverse school that serves some of the city's most affluent communities. [5] The school on Monday will provide counselors in the class Melody was enrolled in and counselors and psychologists will be available for any students who want to talk about the shooting.
[9] The mood at the coastal campus was somber as students, teachers and administrators struggled to comprehend what occurred Friday, when someone fired into a crowd of students leaving the game, striking three people, including Melody, who was fatally wounded.
[20] "A press conference with more details will be held (at Police Headquarters) at 7 o'clock tonight," the lieutenant said. The suspect was not identified by police because he is a minor. He will face charges connected with firing multiple rounds into a crowd of 400 to 500 people as the Wilson/Poly game let out around 10 p.m. Friday.
[36] Investigators have released no suspect descriptions, and there is no word if one or several people were involved. How can it be so difficult to find information when such a large group was gathered at the scene when shots were fired? Zapalski says that crowds typically scatter in shootings such as this, and they happen so fast that it can be difficult to see or remember anything. 'Everyone was running to get away,' she said on Sunday.
[12] Two males that were also injured will recover. Police have indicated that information is hard to come by in this situation because the crowd scattered when the shooting began. Of course, there were so many people around that it's feasible to say that witnesses are concerned about coming forward.
[39] As is often the case in shootings that occur with large groups of people around, police are now saying that Ross was an innocent bystander when a fight broke out and the violence escalated.
[13] Police said Ross was an innocent bystander and not involved in the incident. Ross' family describes her as an angel, struck down before she could realize her promising future. "It is important for the County of Los Angeles to display an unwavering stance against random acts of violence," said county Supervisor Don Knabe, who is requesting the reward.
[42] Friends and family members erected a makeshift memorial with flowers and handwritten notes to Ross on a street near the school.
[30] Family members and friends gathered at the school campus on Saturday, and a makeshift memorial of balloons, votive candles and flowers grew.
[26] Probably a reward unfortunately will bring the killer to justice. Thoughts of love and healing go out to everyone affected by this, the family, friends, community, school and yes, even to the person who did this! It is from a lack of love and caring in our society today that we have kids so scared and angry that they lash out in attack.
[12] Some of the kids could see the victim receiving CPR from the window. One of them that got shot was my friend. she was the 16 year old female. We all are very sad about this and just wish that everyone will pray for the family she was a good girl who was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time.
[13] When are these White kids going to learn. you can't go through life settling your problems with gun play. the victim's family suffers. the kid who shot her will suffer in prison for 10-15 years. White kids!!!!! Hahahahaha That's a good one. We all know who they really are.
[40] I'm sick to my stomach when something like that happens and you have an innocent kid involved," Wilson football coach Mario Morales. He said he heard between five and seven shots as he was leaving the stadium after his team's loss.
[30] Photo:Friends and classmates gather at a makeshift memorial near the football stadium where Melody Ross was shot.
[3] The Press Telegram reports that Melody Ross was an "innocent bystander who was not involved in the altercation" that led to shots that killed her.
[10] What can we say? Our community is in mourning, lamenting the loss of a young, innocent life. Melody Ross was in the wrong place at the wrong time -- she did nothing wrong. She is gone.
[44] Melody Ross. She was simply walking along the street after the game. She was known and loved by almost everyone. Yeah, you weren't there at the scene 10 minutes earlier and it's lucky you weren't. She was killed. The entire "what if I was there! I WOULD'VE BEEN KILLED!" That's all very nice, but guess what? You weren't there.
[29] One witness yesterday said that the shooter simply walked up and started firing at the ground. Melody Ross was sitting on the Ximeno Avenue curb with friends when she was struck in the torso.
[39] Photo: Friends and classmates mourn the death of 16-year-old track athlete Melody Ross.
[25] The death of Melody Ross has been a painful shock to the city, as it struggles to come to grips with the tragedy and the fact that little is known about the shooter.
[39] False reports circulating around the campus included a rumor the gunman was arrested - as of Monday afternoon no one had been arrested or held in connection with the murder; and claims that the crime scene was bathed in the blood of victim Melody Ross - the only blood was a few spots from the two surviving victims; said Lt. Lloyd Cox of the Crimes Against Persons Division.
[28] The family of Melody Ross was from the "killing fields" of Cambodia originally before moving to America in the mid 1980s.
[10] Some friends standing nearby nodded. "She was always happy. She was always the person to go to when you're down," said Trea Pen, 16, a family friend. Melody loved to sing, her uncle, Sam Che, added. She was good, too, he said. Chantha Ross threw her head back, laughing, and recalled the way Melody would get excited when her mother would sing - through her thickly accented English - her favorite pop songs.
[22] Chantha Ross, Rowles and Melody's close friend, Mokry, 16, sat looking at photos of Melody that were strewn across the foldable table. "She made me so happy," the mother said about Melody. She lifted her head and dried her tears. Chantha Ross held up a photo of her daughter puffing out her cheeks wearing oversized glasses. "This was her personality," Chantha Ross said.
[22] The teens were in different stages of grief, disbelieving, angry, bereft, numb. One friend, who was standing next to Ross when she was hit, wept inconsolably at times. She declined to talk to the press but told a parent, "We didn't know what was happening. They just started shooting over there," she said, pointing to an area just north of the crosswalk where Ross was hit.
[35] Teens will congregate -- it is a basic to life. Sadly, irresponsible people will act with no thought for those around them. In a chilling reminder of our modern times, those irresponsible people are likely to have deadly weapons in their hands. It's easy to say that this shooting was a sign of the times. It is receiving more attention than most because a) the victim was such a shining light of youthful promise; b) the death happened in a location traditionally considered safe; and c) hundreds of people were in the area when it occurred. Parents realize that their child could easily have been where Melody was, and are asking themselves, legitimately so, how they are going to protect their children in the future.
[44] Rumors swirled across campus about who shot Melody. "People don't want to talk, they don't want to open their mouths," said Black, who was a few feet from Melody when the shooting occurred, and whose boyfriend comforted her while awaiting paramedics.
[20] While Melody was at the game, the family stayed at home and sang Cambodian karaoke songs. When Melody's companion at the shooting called with the awful news, Chantha at first thought the voice was that of her daughter. Even at the hospital she refused to believe her child was dead.
[9] Student Natalie Schutt, who attended the game, was close to the scene of the shooting. She saw the crowd move suddenly. At first, she thought it was just a fight.
[41] Mayor Bob Foster, who attended the event, embraced Chantha Ross. Students holding 30 black balloons raised their hands and then released them to the sky while a crowd of students stood silently, many weeping and hugging one another. A junior, she was a high-achieving student who attended several Advanced Placement classes and was a pole vaulter on the school's track team.
[2] Ross was a junior at Wilson, a pole vaulter on the school's track team and was in several Advanced Placement classes. She's the daughter of Vanareth and Chantha Ross, survivors of the Cambodian Killing Fields.
[22] Hearing the news clear up in Bishop put me in schock. No student, Wilson or any other should be shot because of the school they attend. This is just terrible.
[13] Grief counselors are on the Wilson Highcampus to help students deal with the death of the popular honors student and athlete. Police on Sunday asked for the public's help in finding the shooter or shooters, saying they don't have a description or many leads to go on.
[4] News of the death spread quickly among the Wilson High student body as students called and text-messaged one another.
[35] Neither were students at either Wilson High or Poly High, and officers dispelled rumors that the suspects belonged to an Asian gang.
[37] On Saturday morning, somber students began appearing at Wilson High near the intersection where Ross was slain.
[35] Rowles said Ross's older sister, Emily, a senior at Wilson, and her parents, Chantha and Vanareth Ross, are mourning.
[8] You don't have to suffer the pain, I and many others, have to suffer now. Please just keep her in your prayers,. I drove by earlier that evening when all the parents and kids were piling into the stadium with their Wilson High shirts on. It made me happy to see kids attend a school function with so much pride. As I drove by again this morning I wondered what the kids were gathered around and realized it was vigil that they created.
[29] Outraged now blaming the police or the school for not protecting the kids. There is no way ever to have enough security to protect all of our children when the gang bangers parents just don't care or worse raised them to be bangers.
[13] Charlie.not blaming the Police whatsoever!! I was speaking of zero police presence at a public school function that had over 5k spectators. the school got caught with their pants down, only because they did not want to pay for the LBPD officers to provide security at a school function. faculty does not count as police presence, I was right in the middle of the fracas and witnessed the inept ability of school security to handle the large crowds.
[13] 19 campus security officers were dispatched from various schools within the district, and 10 administrators as well as 15 teachers were on hand to provide additional adult supervision, Eftychiou said.
[7] Four armed school safety officers in uniform were stationed along the perimeter of the campus, Blazer said.
[7] City Councilman Gary DeLong described the girl as "an innocent bystander who was not involved" in the altercation. It's unclear if any of the victims were students at the school.
[14] The school serves some of the city's most affluent communities, yet half the students receive free or reduced-price lunches, a measure of poverty.
[20] Students were hoping for an unlikely drubbing of crosstown rival Polytechnic High School, one of the nation's strongest high school football teams.
[20] The Buffalo News is reporting that new allegations have been brought against Wilson High School (Wilson, New York) officials in a sex hazing lawsuit. but hazing is nothing new.
[10] I have no connection to Wilson HS, only that I live in the area serving the school, and that I drive by it many times a day.
[13] The article speaks of a 7:16 update that the members of a gang recognized rivals and left school grounds to fight. I just want to make the point that gangs no longer fight they are not tough guys they are weak fatherless wimps who travel in packs with firepower to prove they are tough. I am tired of hearing about these weak soulless jokers. I would like to publicly challenge any of these fools to a real fight anywhere any time.
[37] We have to continue to create and support programs that divert young people's energy away from a life of gangs and crime. That means money for school programs, for parks and recreation programs, for YMCA, Scouting, Boys and Girls Clubs and all the rest.
[44] Cox insisted, however, that the girl had absolutely no gang ties and said it was too early to say whether it was a gang-related crime. "This was a result of two groups that chose to have a confrontation in a group of about 400 to 500 people, and as a result of that confrontation, an innocent girl died," Cox said. "She is an innocent bystander, this was in no way a Wilson/Poly thing. her race played absolutely no part in the crime," he added.
[28] Someone saw the coward, do the right thing and go to the police. These types of people must be given a life sentence w/out the possibily of parole. I would rather my tax dollars go to the prison than allow these types cowards to walk the street. We must elect officials who vow to incarcerate these animals, and if they are a minor, a mandatory 50-year sentence and their parents must pay! I am so sick of these crimes. Fire the mayor and everyone else sitting on their duffs doing nothing.
[25] Possibly a substantial reward leading to the arrest and conviction of the perpetrator(s) will encourage someone to come forward with information that will get a dangerous criminal off the streets. The cops say they have no leads but it's my guess that sometime soon they'll be tipped off, perhaps anonymously, as to who the perp is. Why have the names of the males who were shot not been released? It may be very pertinent information for anyone who may be able to identify suspects. These seems quite myterious to me, and leads me to believe that more is known about the crime than the public is being told. The identities of these males may well be key to bringing informants forward. Making the identities of the other two injured people publicly known at this time could put them at significant risk as witnesses. We have an obligation to protect those two from further harm also.
[39] The mayor, Supervisor Knabe, State Senator Alan Lowenthal and Councilmember Gary DeLong are among the first contributors to the fund, according to an update on DeLong's Facebook page. With no suspects or descriptions from the authorities, rumors have run rampant.' One theory is that the shooter was actually one of the men who was shot, but witnesses say they clearly saw the shooter flee the scene, running down Ximeno towards 10th Street. A student today said she had heard that one of the males ' who was shot in the leg ' was holding a gun as well, and that he was the intended target.
[21] Shots were fired as people filed out of the bleachers after the conclusion of the game and congregated near Ximeno Avenue.
[31] Thanks for the update. It's always more horrible when it's close to home and you may have seen one of the victims walking to school or running past your house with the rest of the track team in practice. Banning guns isn't going to help any more than the illegal status of drugs has stopped their distribution. jUst thinking about the kids there off to enjoy a game and ready to have a great weekend--no Halloween horror can rank with what people inflict on each other--I'm just shaking my head.
[13] Zapalski said details were still sketchy, but that it appeared that two people had been taken to the hospital. She had no information on their condition. A report said that the school was placed on lockdown, but Zapalski said that she could not confirm that.
[29] If any students or people from the game have any information, it is good to write it down while it is fresh in your memory. It could help identify the shooters later on.
[13] A Press-Telegram article today indicates that neither of the other two people who were injured last night were students of either Wilson or Poly.
[13] Blair credited close work with the Wilson High administration for convincing students to come forward with information that helped lead to the arrests. "That night, we had only six witnesses," Blair said.
[15] The Press-Telegram reported today that a fight broke out before the shooting began, but that contradicts what some Wilson students who were present during the shooting have said.
[39] "We can't make sense of it all. It's our job to have a safe environment for our students. I've dealt with a lot of things in my career, and nothing compares to this." Blazer, Meyer, members from the LBPD and a mental health professional will lead a community forum and PTA meeting at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 9, in the media center at Wilson in an effort to give parents and residents an opportunity to air their thoughts and feelings. Beforehand, Blazer will collect questions e-mailed to her at
sblazer@lbschools.net.
[7] I understand that the reason there was not a police presence was because Wilson High could not afford them!! Unbelievable to think that we live in a high taxed area and not have funds for the LBPD? All parents should blast emails to our superintendent and councilman.
[13] My son is a sophomore at Wilson. He did not know Melody, but as a schoolmate, and myself as a parent. we are very sad.
[12] Thank you for the coverage. The saddest part is that they put an end to three lives. I dont go to Wilson but hearts and prayers go out to Melody, her family, and Wilson, themselves. May she come to justice and rest in peace.
[37] I live just 2 streets away from Wilson. and I know someone who knew you. you will live on in the hearts of many who love you! May you watch over us now, beautiful Melody.
[10] Good Samaritans in the crowd and paramedics worked hard to resuscitate Melody, who was rushed to a local trauma center in full arrest. Despite their efforts, the girl was pronounced dead shortly after arrival, police said.
[28] Two men, ages 18 and 20, were wounded in the gunfire and hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, police said. They are not believed to be students at either school, and their identities were not released.
[3] On Monday, Blazer met with school, city and police officials as well as teaching, counseling and security staff to address the situation, answer questions and field concerns. "We've all been really devastated by this tragic event," Blazer said.
[7] What can we say that hasn't already been said? The Police Department is second-guessing itself, the school district is second-guessing itself.
[44] The 20-year-old was released from the hospital not long after the shooting; the 18-year-old remains hospitalized, police said.
[36] A number of witnesses and the victim's friends complained it took paramedics and police a long time to to get to the scene.
[28] I'm still in disbelief." Paris said the last time she saw Ross was at their aunt's anniversary wedding party in December. They danced traditional Cambodian wedding dances all night, Paris said, despite the fact that neither she nor Ross were great dancers. "She was the cutest baby and people thought we were sisters because she looked so much like me," Paris said.
[8] Deputy Chief William Blair estimated that between 400 and 500 people were gathered at the scene of the shooting when it occurred, but just six witnesses came forward to provide detectives with information on the night of the shooting. Over the last few days, more witnesses have begun to cooperate, he said.
[37] "If you have to move or kick evidence aside you do whatever is necessary to save a life." Officers worked hard Friday night to locate all the witnesses they could find among the crowds and questioned people into the early hours of Saturday morning, Cox said. Every detective in his division came in without being asked and worked the weekend.
[28] LBUSD also had to provide security for two other football games that night -- Compton was playing at Jordon, and Lakewood at Millikan.
[34] What has become of our youth? Facilitys for fun like football games take a deadly turn.
[40] "What kid doesn't walk around with a camera or a phone?" Pratt said. She encouraged parents of students at the game to "talk to your kids."
[11] Parents should be "OUTRAGED" at the inadequete security provided by the district. After the game, the crowd loitered, security did not have a clue on how to handle the crowd this size.
[13] Death is not glamorous. Don't be daft, it's not the tv's fault, nor video games or music. Japan plays the same videogames we do, yet they have a lower violence rate. Europe listens to the same music we do, and they are not as violent as we are. Wilson Alum, to think that the vast array of media children are exposed to now a days isn't going to alter their mindset, or desensitize them to violence, or make them prone to ignorant behavior is daft on your part.
[13] The week had been a boisterous one on Wilson's campus, with pep rallies leading up to the game, and a dance.
[20] According to reports, at the Wilson High shooting, the number of shots rang out were four.
[45] The shooting at Wilson High left a 16-year-old girl dead and injured an 18-year-old and a 20-year-old man.
[31] I believe it is important to pay our respects to Ms. Ross and her family but equally important to not let anger and sadness consume us. Whether or not this was a gang initiation shooting, I believe it is necessary to rehabilitate and prevent rather than drop the gavel on probably another young individual. We would not wish for these events to become a constant that we are enveloped in daily, but as hard as it may seem it is important to forgive and love those who have committed such a disrespectful act.
[12] RIP sweet girl Melody. Your life was too short, but maybe this community can rally round you and your family and make your life worth something very precious, can make this life better and safer and more loving for all of us. Just to note a response to the comment that crime is on the rise everywhere, it's not.
[12] Students learned about the death Saturday morning through text messages and the Internet. Madison Guest, 16, didn't believe the rumors until a friend asked her to bring flowers to track practice Saturday. She was on the team with Melody, and recalled hearing her boisterous cheers on the track. "She was always happy and always supported me in my running," the junior said.
[20] I screamed to the heavens, "Justice Will Be Served! Rest In Peace!" And so the healing process continues. I didn't know her but my good friend knew her very well and it was great to see most students wear black even though we are a uniformed school. Our school was safe with good academics, its not fair this had to happen and also give our GREAT school a bad rep.
[12] My sympathies go out to the family and friends of the victim. May her memory spawn a renewed push to rid the school and the area of the thoughtless thugs that perpetrate this kind of violence.
[13] "Never had anything bad to say;." "Everyone who knew her really loved her." An unidentified parent called her a "beacon of light, an Energizer Bunny." Kat Mokry, a 16-year-old who was one of Melody's closest friends, said they parted about 10 minutes before the shooting.
[9] To a person students and parents described Melody as a smart and effervescent teen who brightened a room.
[9] "Why her?" asked sophomore Micah Mathis, 15, who took French with Melody, an honors student. "That's what I want to know."
[20] "Why her?" asked sophomore Micah Mathis, 15, who took French with Melody, an honors student. "That's what I want to know." The Board of Supervisors will consider the reward later this morning.
[17] Ross, who was an honor student and track athlete, died after being rushed to the hospital.
[33] Brandi Palumbo, 14, said the memorial service was moving. "Thinking about (the parents) losing a child, it's so sad," she said. Palumbo said it was frightening to think that a fellow student could be suddenly taken away in such a violent act. "She was always smiling," Palumbo said of Ross. "I never saw her be sad, or mad or anything."
[41] Mayor Bob Foster, who attended the event, embraced Chantha Ross. Students holding black balloons raised their hands and then released them to the sky while a crowd of students stood silently, many weeping and hugging one another.
[41] Either way, the search for the person who fired into a crowd outside a high school continues. [39] "Lots of times at school, we get a heads-up about issues in the community (that could require extra security).
[7] The LBUSD and LBPD coordinate when the games let out so there can be extra patrols in the area, and there were four East Division patrol cars on the street at the time of the shooting. "We usually rely on their available manpower they have and that was the case after this game," Eftychiou said.
[34] There were hundreds of game attendees in the area at the time of the shooting.
[10] Police asked anyone who took photos or video at the game, or anyone with more information about the crime, to contact detectives Scott Lasch or Malcolm Evans at 562-570-7244. [27] Police urged anyone who took photos or video at the game, and anyone with more information about the crime, to call Homicide Detectives Scott Lasch or Malcolm Evans at (562) 570-7244.
[16] The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday will consider offering a $10,000 reward for information that helps police solve the crime. "It is important for the County of Los Angeles to display an unwavering stance against random acts of violence," county Supervisor Don Knabe, who is requesting the reward, said in a statement. "In order to bring this suspect to justice, and demonstrate our intolerance to such heinous crimes, I believe this reward should be established, hoping someone will come forward so that we can bring this suspect to justice."
[27] Anyone with information on the shooting was asked to call police at (562) 570-7244.
[23] There's really only two directions to flee quickly from the location of the shooting, down towards 7th and Ximeno or up towards 10th and Ximeno. In the case of the latter you run past LBS Financial Credit Union which is encrusted with video cameras. Hope they find the perps, I drive past those kids and the memorial every day on my way in to work and it breaks my heart.
[39] Most of the kids wore black and a few girls were crying," said Laurie Keller, an oceanography teacher. "What most of them were saying, the ones who were upset, was, `This could happen to anybody."' Asianai Sowell, 15, said she was afraid to go to school Monday.
[2] Ryan ZumMallen is a graduate of the CSULB School of Journalism, writing for the campus' Union Weekly newspaper and serving as Sports Editor for one year. He has written for numerous news and sports websites and magazines, as well as television experience with Fox Sports and ABC Channel 7.
[21] SOURCES1.
Long Beach police to announce arrest in student's slaying | L.A. NOW | Los Angeles Times2.
Friends, family remember slain Wilson High student - The Daily Breeze3.
Times coverage: Student at Long Beach's Wilson High fatally shot after homecoming game | The Homicide Report | Los Angeles Times4.
No motive, no suspects in slaying of Wilson High honors student | L.A. NOW | Los Angeles Times5.
Two alleged gang members arrested in slaying of Long Beach high school student | L.A. NOW | Los Angeles Times6.
"Innocent Bystander" Shot, Killed at High School Football Game - KESQ.com Palm Springs, Coachella Valley - Weather, News, Sports:7.
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Wilson, city shaken by shooting death of popular student-athlete, 16 - Press-Telegram10.
Melody Ross, 16 Murdered in CA $10,000 Reward: Call 562-570-7244 with Information - Associated Content - associatedcontent.com11.
No arrests yet in fatal Wilson High shooting - Press-Telegram12.
LBPOST.com: Search For Wilson High Shooter Continues13.
LBPOST.com: Friday Night Shootings: One At Wilson High, One Officer-Involved14.
The Associated Press: Girl shot dead after Calif. school football game15.
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Supervisors to raise reward to $20,000 for Melody Ross' killer - Press-Telegram17.
$10,000 reward likely in slaying of Long Beach honors student | L.A. NOW | Los Angeles Times18.
Other weekend stuff - LA Observed19.
Shooting of Melody Ross was senseless and tragic - Press-Telegram20.
Stunned Wilson High students grieve for slain classmate -- latimes.com21.
LBPOST.com: $10K Reward Offered For Information In Fatal Shooting22.
Police seek leads in LB student's shooting - Press-Telegram23.
Two Teens Arrested in Murder of Melody Ross - KTLA24.
Long Beach Police Announce Arrest Of 2 Gang Members For Killing Honors Student - cbs2.com25.
Wilson High School track athlete killed after football game in Long Beach [Updated] | L.A. NOW | Los Angeles Times26.
Wilson High School Student Killed in Shooting after Football Game27.
Grief couselors to be at Long Beach high school after fatal shooting - LA Daily News28.
Rumors abound in Wilson High shooting aftermath - Press-Telegram29.
Shooting outside Wilson High School in Long Beach sends two to the hospital | L.A. NOW | Los Angeles Times30.
The Associated Press: Girl shot dead after Calif. school football game31.
Two More Fights Break Out at H.S. Football Games | NBC Los Angeles32.
Police: Arrest Made in Murder of Melody Ross | NBC Los Angeles33.
Who killed high school girl Melody Ross?34.
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Wilson students in shock over fatal shooting - The Daily Breeze36.
16-year-old arrested in murder of Melody Ross - Press-Telegram37.
LBPOST.com: Two Suspects Arrested In Melody Ross Murder Case38.
Fund started to aid Ross family - Press-Telegram39.
LBPOST.com: Reward For Info About Shooting Increases To $20,00040.
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Melody Ross' family, friends mourn at Wilson High ceremony - Press-Telegram42.
KNX - $10K Reward To Be Offered In Long Beach Teen Killing43.
Around the Nation - Washington Times44.
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