Students write good-byes to their fallen classmate SAMOHI MURDER, from page 1
SAMOHI — The mood on campus here was somber Wednesday as students and school staff mourned the loss of 15-year-old Eduardo Lopez, who was fatally shot Tuesday night.
Lopez, a member of both the football and baseball teams at Santa Monica High School, was standing outside of the Sunset Plaza Liquor & Jr. Market with two friends shortly after 9 p.m. Witnesses said a male Hispanic, wearing a dark-colored hooded sweatshirt and a ban-dana over his face, approached the group and yelled a Los Angeles-based Hispanic gang name several times, police said. He then fired several times at the three boys, striking Lopez in the upper torso, police said.
Lopez had no documented gang affiliation, according to police.
Counselors were available throughout the day at Samohi to help students cope with the death of the popular 10th grader, who lived with his family in the Pico neighborhood, sources said.
Students were seemingly in shock on Wednesday, many seen crying before and after school. A crisis team was set up in each house at the Samohi campus, and additional counselors were on hand to individually help students, particularly those who were close to Lopez.
“There is a lot of grief,” said schools superintendent John Deasy. “He was a remarkable kid. A top notch athlete, very well known, very well liked.”
“He was a remarkable kid. A top notch athlete, very well known, very well liked.” — JOHN DEASY Schools superintendent
Deasy said a banner with Lopez’s photo was placed in the quad area of the high school so students could write good-bye messages to Lopez. The banner was taken to the family’s house shortly after school on Wednesday.
“He was a wonderful student with lots of friends... It’s a huge tragedy, and we’re grieving for the family and other families who have lost children to violence,” said Ilene Straus, Samohi principal. “There were some student witnesses.”
A memorial ceremony is scheduled for today at Samohi’s Greek Theater at 2 p.m.
Lopez died at Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center about an hour after Tuesday’s 9:21 p.m. shooting at 2627 Pico Blvd. After he was shot, Lopez ran across the street and eventually collapsed in front of the Morgan-Wixson Theatre, on the north side of Pico Boulevard.
An employee at the convenience store said Lopez and two friends came in, purchased a taco and left. They were standing in front of a pay phone on a sidewalk at the corner of 26th Street and Pico Boulevard. The suspect approached from the side of the building and fired about four shots, witnesses said. Police say a witness reported seeing a white pick-up truck fleeing the scene, at which shell casings were found.
Santa Monica detectives have not established a motive for the shooting, said SMPD Lt. Frank Fabrega.
Rod Prasad, who works at AAMCO Automotive on Pico Boulevard said he heard about four gunshots from his home on 27th Street, less than a block away from where the shooting occurred.
“I hear bam, bam, bam, bam and said ‘oh, that’s on this side of the street,’” said Prasad, who walked to the scene to see what had happened. “I moved to Santa Monica from Fourth and Crenshaw to get away from this stuff and it’s here in Santa Monica. It’s everywhere, I guess.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 2, 2006. Read the original PDF.