The Los Angeles Police Department has arrested one suspect and is searching for another in the case of one of two drive-by shootings that happened last week.
Accordfing to Sal LaBarbera, officer in charge of the Criminal Gang Homicide Unit, 29-year-old gang member Kenneth Clay was arrested for the shooting death of 21-year-old school custodian Jarret Crump.
Clark has been charged with one count of murder and count of attempted murder as well as probation violation.
Authorities as still seeking a second person suspected of being invovled with the shooting.
The shooting was two blocks from where Crump had lived with his grandmother, according to his mother, Dara Davis. She said the gunman got out of a dark-colored SUV, ran around to the driver’s side of the vehicle and shot her son.
Surveillance video released of the incident, showed the shooter strolling through stopped traffic, and the fact that drivers in all of the surrounding cars drove on without stopping to render aid or wait for authorities.
Crump’s female passenger suffered injuries that were not considered life threatening, according to Los Angeles police detective Rick Gordon of the South Bureau Criminal Gang Unit.
Officials are speculating that the murder may be a case of mistaken indentity because Crump was a star high school athlete and had no known gang ties or involvement. The female was a college student and not from the area.
As a result of a second shooting that happened on Monday, 7-year-old Talaib Pecante died about 5:20 p.m. Tuesday at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, said coroner’s Assistant Chief Ed Winter. He was shot in the chest in a vehicle-to-vehicle shooting in the Mid-City area.
The boy and a 31-year-old man were struck by gunfire when “numerous” shots were fired at them in the 1900 block of South Corning Street around 9 p.m. Monday, Los Angeles Police Department Sgt. Mike Fox said.
LAPD Detective Gus Villanueva said authorities are seeking four males, who disappeared in a white car.
The boy’s father, who asked not to be identified, issued a plea for witnesses to come forward with information.
