LONG BEACH, Calib you are ”.
Family, friends and supporters gathered on Sunday night for a candlelight vigil in memory of 15-year-old Joshua Simmons.
Joshua’s family says they are heartbroken that this has happened. He was only a week old when he turned 16. They say the area is not the safest and have a message for the people watching
“If I can leave a message for everyone, it’s that safety comes first, family is very important, and you know, if there’s anything you can do, just take an interest in each other,” said Simmons’ uncle Vannarit Im. . “Support yourself, support yourself. This is very unnecessary.”
Shortly before 9:30 p.m. on Friday, officers were called to a public apartment complex in the 1,000-block East Via Wanda, between Orange and Atlantic Boulevards, police said.
They arrived to find Simmons on a basketball court suffering from gunshot wounds to his upper body, investigators said. Paramedics were called to the scene, where Simmons was pronounced dead.
Police later learned that the teenager had arranged to buy a cell phone from someone through an online marketplace app and had to meet with the seller at the crime scene.
“A quarrel arose during the deal, which escalated to the fatal shooting,” officials said.
Detectives identified the suspected shooter as Jose Bustamante Cardenas, 24, of Los Angeles.
Cardenas was arrested on suspicion of murder and a firearm was seized from him, authorities said. He was convicted at Long Beach City Jail, where he was detained on bail of $ 2 million.
“He cares deeply for others. We are devastated by this loss, “said a statement published in GoFundMe, created for Simmons on behalf of his family.
Police homicide detectives in Long Beach have called anyone with information about the shooting to call (562) 570-7244 or Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477.
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