On Sunday morning at 6:35, two teen  boys of the age 15 and 16 were rushed to the nearest hospital in Long Beach. The two boys were shot in a drive-by at 1600 block of East 14th Street. The Long Beach fire department were the ones that took the teenages to the hospital. 

The 15 year old got shot in the upper body, and the 16 year old got shot in his lower body. Their injuries were identified as non-life threatening gunshot wounds.  

They were standing in the area until a vehicle with an unknown number of suspects inside shot fire and left. The police have found bullet casings and a nearby multiunit residence that was struck by gunfire. 

LBPD spokesperson Brandon Fahey says, “We are still investigating, but so far there has been no sign of a motive or suspects have been identified, but gang detectives are conducting this case.”

Many people believe that these boys were shot because they were involved in gang violence. Over the past year, there was a rise in the 30% crime rate and 28% of that crime was made of gang violence.  Many people have gone into gang violence, and the issue is when they want to leave the gang, because it can lead to a homicide. More than a third of homicides happen because of an argument that happens between gang members.  

Celeste Carmora (9) says, “It’s unfortunate that the crime rate is constantly increasing. It’s even worse that we find younger people getting involved with violence. We never know who or when someone will strike and we have to constantly be alert of our surroundings.”

The 30% crime rate increase occurs in California, while some are far while others are near from home. Here in Santa Ana,  the crime rate is 468 per 100,000 people. As these crime rates are going up, most crimes deal with teenagers. As more teenagers become involved in crimes, parents are worried if their children will come home everyday. And with parents worrying, it is hard for us Segerstrom’s students to go out and live our lives.   

“Absolutely, especially for people like me who have parents who work and have to stay at school for hours. It’s scary to know that you’re in an open area by yourself, where danger can be lurking in every corner. If I do choose to walk somewhere like Target or Starbucks, then I always bring a friend with me so we can watch out for each other,” says Carmora (9). 

With this type of rate, many people are losing their lives. There have been many accidents that kill people that weren’t supposed to be killed. Many people’s siblings die in these accidents and some can never recover.

“I’m not as worried for my older brothers because they are in college and they know how to protect themselves. I am more worried for my younger sisters. They are in elementary school and if a tragedy like a shooting happens, I don’t believe they are mature enough yet to keep calm. They would most likely be too scared to think, leaving them in even more danger. Especially during after school program where young adults watch them and there is little-to-no security,” says Carmora (9).