A well-liked Long Beach high school graduate passed away last week after an accident on the rifle range at Fort Leonard Wood on Sept. 5, where he was undergoing basic training as part of the United States Army’s 48th Infantry Regiment. Andrey Okunev was 18 years old and a recent graduate of Sato High School last June.
A native of Belmont Shore, Okunev attended Lowell, Rogers, and Sato according to a GoFundMe page set up to benefit his family. The page has raised over $28,000 of a $35,000 goal.
Okunev’s death was mourned by those who knew him. He had deep connections in the Long Beach youth soccer world as a longtime volunteer referee with AYSO Region 177, which represents Belmont Shore and East Long Beach and plays many of its games at Stanford Middle School…