A 14-year-old boy is behind bars on suspicion of attempted murder after a midday shooting in north Long Beach left another 14-year-old critically wounded in a residential neighborhood, according to police. Officers say their on-scene medical care helped keep the victim alive until paramedics could rush him to the hospital. The suspect was arrested the next day in nearby Lakewood and is being held while detectives keep digging into what happened.
Long Beach Police Chief Wally Hebeish publicly praised the officers who raced to the scene, telling the Press-Telegram, “I am incredibly grateful for the immediate medical aid provided by our responding officers. Their heroic efforts undoubtedly saved this young man’s life.” The department has described the shooting as gang-related, and detectives have been canvassing the neighborhood for witnesses and video.
What police say
The Long Beach Police Department says the shooting broke out on Sunday at about 12:50 p.m. in the 5300 block of Elm Avenue. Investigators allege the suspect walked up to the 14-year-old victim as he headed south on Locust Avenue, a block west of Elm, and opened fire, hitting him multiple times in the upper body.
Officers arriving at the scene applied chest seals and a tourniquet while they waited for paramedics, who then took the teen to a hospital. He remained hospitalized in critical condition, authorities said…