Town hall meeting to be held at Edison Elementary
EDISON ELEMENTARY — Reeling from yet another gang-related shooting that occurred this week in this eastside neighborhood, officials here are responding.
A town hall meeting has been scheduled for Monday, Oct. 4, in response to a shooting that occurred Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. in the 2400 block of Virginia Avenue. The shooting forced Edison Elementary School into lock-down mode.
Edison’s school staff, led by principal Ernesto Leon, immediately locked down the school, where children and staff were kept safe, school officials said.
Santa Monica police were on the scene immediately, as was schools superintendent John Deasy. Children who were on campus participating in the afterschool CREST program were released when the police deemed it clear and safe, officials said.
On Wednesday, community organizations and the school district’s crisis team, led by Marolyn Freedman, returned to Edison Elementary before children arrived to meet with and provide information to the staff and community members, officials said.
Counseling was set up for both staff and students, as well as instructions to staff about developing appropriate strategies when talking with children who may have heard or witnessed the event, officials said.
The crisis team will meet with CREST staff and the children who witnessed the shooting. Support staff will remain in place throughout the end of the week, school officials said.
On Tuesday, police responded to several calls from residents that shots had been fired in the area of Virginia Avenue. When officers arrived, they located the 16-year-old victim, who had suffered a laceration to his face. Apparently, he was injured when he ran from the estimated 14 bullets that were fired from a passing car, police said. No one else was injured.
Police are looking for two suspects. The first is described as a Hispanic man in 20s, with a thin build. The second suspect is described only as a Hispanic man. The suspect’s vehicle is described as a dark gray compact vehicle.
Santa Monica City Council candidate Maria Loya issued a press release on Wednesday in response to the shooting. The Pico neighborhood has been plagued with gang violence, shootings and drug dealing for decades.
Loya, who lives in the area, urged the creation of what she calls a “Children’s Safe Zone” to offer increased protection for children from gun violence.
“It was a miracle that no one was shot but I would hate to think what would happen if those bullets would have been fired in the direction of the school while more than 40 kids were playing,” Loya said. Loya is recommending that the City Council create the safe zone, which would include permanent police presence at area schools and surrounding neighborhoods when signs of violence are present.
“It was a miracle that no one was shot but I would hate to think what would happen if those bullets would have been fired in the direction of the school while more than 40 kids were playing.” — – MARIA LOYA City Council candidate
“Incidents such as this compel us to implement a more thorough approach to neighborhood-centered policing,” Loya said. “We need to send a message to families that our schools will be a safe and secure environment for our children and that if you endanger the lives of innocent children, you will be held accountable.”
Santa Monica Police Chief James T. Butts Jr., who instituted a neighborhood-centered policing program a couple of years ago, said it’s impossible to have officers in every area of the city when a crime occurs. And, he added, having officers full time at schools could be costly.
“Unless you are prepared to pay to staff officers at every school, I don’t know if that is a viable option,” he said.
Police presence has been increased in the Pico neighborhood for years, including helicopter patrols and a patrol car specifically assigned to the area. The Pico neighborhood also has its own bike patrol unit. In addition, four extra officers per shift have been deployed in the area for the past month. The additional deployment was based on uncorroborated information the SMPD received that gang activity might flare up. Those extra officers were on duty during Tuesday’s shooting, Butts said.
Loya suggested that more police presence must occur in the troubled neighborhood, despite that the eight-block area is the most heavily concentrated in the city for police patrols.
“SMPD must increase its visibility around the neighborhoods where most of these shootings occur,” she said. “If we fail to respond to this, we are failing to protect our most precious resource, our children.”
The town hall meeting, which will be held at 6:30 p.m. at Edison Elementary, 2425 Kansas Ave., will be attended by representatives from social services, the Santa Monica Police Department, and city and school district staff. For more information on the meeting, call Edison School at (310) 828-0335.
“A wired fence is not going to stop a bullet from killing one of our students,” said Edison PTA co-president Griselda Garces, in Loya’s press release.
Anyone with information about the shooting is encouraged to contact the robbery/homicide unit at the SMPD at (310) 458-8451, or the watch commander’s office at (310) 458-8426. Callers who wish to provide anonymous information can call the We-Tip national hotline at 1- 800-78-CRIME (27463). Callers with information that leads to an arrest and conviction become eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on September 30, 2004. Read the original PDF.