After an eventful few weeks that saw multiple serious incidents occur in Long Beach, local residents are speaking out about public safety.
Over the weekend, a meet-up amongst mostly juveniles turned violent, when two females got into a fistfight and were arrested. The owners of The Pike Outlets elected to close early due to the chaotic event.
A short time later, a 16-year-old boy was found with a gunshot wound to his leg near The Pike. Police have released no details about a possible suspect in the shooting.
Long Beach Police knew about the large meet-up ahead of time through a viral social media post and had extra officers on standby in the area. Chief Wally Hebeish released a statement Sunday saying he was “proud” of how authorities handled the situation.
These two events are the latest in what has been an eventful few weeks in Long Beach. Longtime resident Don Rock lives in the area and is fed up with the criminal activity.
“It’s making Long Beach look bad,” Rock said to KTLA’s Jennifer McGraw. “I come down here every day. I live within walking distance and it’s not as safe as it was when I was a kid.”