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# SM citizens mobilizing against gang violence
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/sm-citizens-mobilizing-against-gang-violence/
- Published: 2005-04-08T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T06:33:31.000Z
- Author: Ryan Hyatt
- Tags: local, Ocean Park, #archive-import

*Gang workshop designed to put ideas into action*

The second part of a gang violence workshop will resume this weekend with as much vigor as the first session in February — especially in light of last month’s double homicide that remains unsolved.

The first gang violence workshop held Feb. 26 was sponsored by the city of Santa Monica and State Sen. Sheila Kuehl. The goal was to pool ideas from community members, leaders and experts to reduce gang violence in Santa Monica.

The second session, originally scheduled in March, was postponed due to the murders of Hector Bonilla, 25, and Jonathan Hernandez, 19, who were shot multiple times on March 5 at a birthday party held at the Moose Lodge at 16th Street and Ocean Park Boulevard. The killings took place in front of between 50 and 70 witnesses, according to police, who said witnesses have provided detectives with little information, making the investigation difficult.

More than 400 people attended the first gang violence workshop. During the second workshop — to be held on Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon at John Adams Middle School, 2425 16th St. — work will focus on turning ideas into action.

“The murders in Santa Monica really pointed up the great need for this community response,” said Sen. Kuehl. “We postponed the second workshop so members of the community could grieve and heal a little bit in order to come roll up our sleeves and find some real programmatic solutions to this violence.”

Santa Monica Mayor Pam O’Connor said the second workshop will recognize the loss of Bonilla and Hernandez.

“Father Mike Gutierrez from St. Anne’s Church will be there for a recap and offer a moment of silence,” O’Connor said.

She added that the majority of the second workshop will be spent putting together an “action plan” to recap outcomes and themes that were developed at the first meeting.

Participants can sign up to take part in one of three workshop groups, “Bring It Home,” “Make It Work” and “Keep It Safe.”

“Bring It Home” will develop on the idea of how parent, home and family support can reduce gang violence. Also included in that is youth support counseling services, mentoring activities, re-entry support from the Department of Corrections, educational support, and neighborhood connections and cohesion.

“Make It Work” will focus on how job development, employment preparation, skills training and rehabilitation also might reduce gang violence.

“Keep It Safe” will focus on how community-police relations, neighborhood improvements, private property clean-up, parks and community centers, as well as school buildings and other neighborhood gathering places can become more secure to reduce gang threats.

Much of the first workshop was spent in small groups of 20 to 40 participants, where parents, students, ex-gang members and an array of experts began to fashion a solution for ending the ongoing cycle of violence.

In a group only for youths, about 30 students, mostly from Santa Monica and Olympic high schools, offered their views on how best to deal with violence in Santa Monica and particularly in the eastside Pico neighborhood, where gangs are most entrenched and gunshots are frequent.

Asked by a facilitator who among the students was directly affected by gang violence, only one boy put up his hand. Asked who was affected through their family or neighborhood, every youth in the room raised a hand.

Registration for the second workshop is not required, but is encouraged by organizers. Breakfast, child care (age 5 and up), Spanish translation, and free parking will be available. John Adams Middle School is accessible to persons with disabilities and is served by Big Blue Bus lines 8 and 11.

To request a disability-related accommodation, call (310) 458-8701 or TTY (310) 458-8696.

To RSVP and for more information on what occurred at the first gang violence workshop, visit www.StopGangViolence.smgov.net.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on April 8, 2005.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/040805.pdf?ref=smdp.com)