Gang-Related News Articles

Illinois
Four teenagers wounded in West Side shooting (Chicago, IL): Four teens, ages 14, 16, 17, and 18, were wounded in a gang-related shooting on the West Side of Chicago, police said. All four were taken to local hospitals. No arrests have been made, and police have no suspects.
Source: Chicago Tribune    Date: May 1, 2003

California
Hollenbeck shooting (Boyle Heights, CA): A motorist was fatally shot in what police believe was a gang-related attack in Boyle Heights, California. The man was approached by two men while his car was stopped or slowed down. At least one of the men opened fire, and then both fled the scene. The suspects are still being sought.
Source: City News Service    Date: May 1, 2003

New York
Shooting leaves one dead, three injured (Syracuse, NY): A 14-year-old boy was killed, and three other persons wounded in a shooting at an eastside apartment complex. Police said that a man drove into the apartment complex, got out of the vehicle, and charged at the victims firing a handgun. The motive of the shooting could not be determined. No arrests have been made.
Source: The Associated Press State & Local Wire    Date: May 1, 2003

Oregon
Gang attacks, stabs man; one arrested (Salem, OR): A 23-year-old man was stabbed multiple times at his Salem home in a gang-related attack that involved 10 to 15 people, police said. One adult was arrested and charged with rioting. Investigation is ongoing, and police are declining to release any further information.
Source: Statesman Journal    Date: May 1, 2003

California
16 arrested in big gang sweep (Oxnard and Ventura, CA): More than a dozen law enforcement agencies from Long Beach to Santa Maria were involved in a massive law enforcement sweep that resulted in the arrest of 16 suspected members, ages between 18 to 44, from an Oxnard Gang. A three-month investigation and weeks of preparation led authorities to 26 residences: 25 in Oxnard and one in Ventura. Six people were charged with felonies and 10 with misdemeanors.
Source: Ventura County Star    Date: May 1, 2003

California
Gunfire in Buena Park wounds 4-year-old boy (Buena Park, CA): A 4-year-old boy was shot during a drive-by shooting while walking with his sister to their Buena Park home. Police say that the shooting may have been targeted at two men riding their bicycles, and possibly gang-related. A 16-year-old boy had been arrested for the shooting, but police released him due to lack of evidence.
Source: Los Angeles Times    Date: April 30, 2003

California
Man shot to death in San Leandro (San Leandro, CA): In a possibly gang-related shooting, a 27-year-old man was killed outside a San Leandro home, according to police and the homeowner. The motive for the shooting has not been confirmed, and no arrests have been made.
Source: San Francisco Chronicle    Date: April 30, 2003

Massachusetts
Cops give council primer on gang violence increase (Lynn, MA): An increase in gang-related activity has prompted Lynn police to give an explanation on the subject and what is being done to stop it to the city council. The most recent incident occurred on April 19, when bullets hit a van on Beaudry Terrance. Days earlier, another shooting left two known gang members with bullet wounds. On April 12, an 84-year-old woman was shot in Beaudry Terrance. Police said a gang member fired the gun, but missed his intended target. In the past six months, police have reported many more similar incidents. The gang unit has been trying to prevent the growth of gang activity through various strategies, including work as school resource officers. School officials have also been advised of how to recognize gang activity.
Source: The Daily Item     Date: April 30, 2003

New Jersey
Cops report gang-related gunfight (North Brunswick, NJ): A shooting in North Brunswick that involved two rival gangs, Bloods and Crips, left no one injured, police said. The shooting was believed to be linked to a prior incident in which a man was slashed on the face. A car with four occupants left the scene and led police on a brief chase which resulted in arrests and multiple charges.
Source: Home News Tribune    Date: April 30, 2003

California
Drive-by shooting (Los Angeles, CA): A man was wounded in a gang-related drive-by shooting in South Los Angeles. The victim's wounds were not life-threatening. No arrests have been made.
Source: City News Service    Date: April 29, 2003

North Carolina
Two more charged in April 13 gang-related shooting of four (Mecklenburg, NC): Authorities have charged two more people in connection with the shooting near Lake Wylie last month that involved members of MS-13. Of a total of seven suspects, four remain at-large, police said.
Source: The Charlotte Observer    Date: April 29, 2003

Rhode Island
Providence boy was slain by friend, police say (Providence, RI): A 14-year-old boy was allegedly shot by his 15-year-old friend when they both opened fire at a passing car in South Providence, Rhode Island. Police believe that the motive for shooting at the car was an ongoing rivalry among youths from two different neighborhoods: the Barbara Jones Homes neighborhood and the Lockwood Plaza neighborhood. An arrest warrant was issued for the 15-year-old, and he is being charged with murder.
Source: The Providence Journal    Date: April 29, 2003

California
Gang detail probing man's shooting death (Santa Ana, CA): Police are investigating the shooting death of a 35-year-old man in a Santa Ana neighborhood. A motive for the shooting has not been determined yet.
Source: Los Angeles Times    Date: April 28, 2003

Illinois
Boy shot while cleaning up neighborhood (Chicago, IL): A 12-year-old boy was shot when several youths opened fire at a group of youths who had been participating in a neighborhood cleanup program. Authorities were questioning three suspects, and believe that the boy was mistakenly shot by gang members.
Source: The Associated Press State & Local Wire    Date: April 28, 2003

Illinois
Driver shot and killed after exchange of words (Chicago, IL): A 23-year-old Chicago man was fatally shot after exchanging words, and possibly gang signs, with someone in another vehicle. According to police reports, the victim and his passengers exchanged words with three others in a vehicle, and then challenged them to race at a stoplight. Police say that is when gang signs may have been exchanged. Shortly after, shots were fired from the suspects' vehicle. Police have not made any arrests yet.
Source: Chicago Tribune    Date: April 28, 2003

Missouri
Teen is shot and killed in city (St. Louis, MO): Police arrested and are seeking a murder charge against a 17-year-old male for the gang-related killing of another 17-year-old. The victim was shot at several times from a car as he was walking on a local street. The victim ran off but the driver got out of his car and chased the victim, firing more shots. Police located the car a short time later and after a pursuit, arrested the driver.
Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch    Date: April 28, 2003

Texas
Two agents caught in crossfire, wounded (Laredo, TX): Police are searching for an 18-year-old in connection to a drive-by shooting that occurred in West Laredo, Texas, involving two street gangs. Two agents with the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection were shot and wounded after responding to the call.
Source: The Associated Press State & Local Wire    Date: April 28, 2003

Utah
Man turns himself in to police after shooting (Midvale, UT): A suspect in a recent gang-related shooting in Midvale, Utah, turned himself in to police. The 21-year-old male allegedly shot and left one man in critical condition.
Source: Deseret News    Date: April 27, 2003

California
Boy, 15, killed during eruption of gang violence in San Jose (San Jose, CA): A 15-year-old boy was fatally shot while sitting on bleachers with two friends. According to police, two gang members walked up to the boy and his friends, and started harassing them. Then a third young man came out of some bushes with a gun, and shot the boy. Police say that the victim was not a gang member, and that no arrests have been made. Shortly after this shooting, police received reports of a gang-related attack that occurred in a parking lot of a hall where a girl's coming-of-age party was scheduled. Three males were wounded by 15 assailants, police said. Three males: two 19-year-olds and a 20-year-old, and two juveniles: 15 and 16 were arrested. All five could face charges ranging from assault to attempted murder and police are still seeking additional suspects. A day later, two men were stabbed in the same area. "Three guys were standing in front of a house when three (male) suspects jumped out of a green van, and stabbed them," police said. There has been no proof that all three incidents are linked, but police are looking into that possibility.
Source: San Francisco Chronicle    Date: April 27, 2003

Florida
Gang members arrested (Englewood, FL): Five males, ages 15 to 16, suspected of being members of the New Age Mafia have been arrested for theft related charges since April 17. They have been charged with armed burglary, grand theft of a firearm, grand theft, and dealing in stolen property. All five have been taken to the Department of Juvenile Justice facility in Fort Myers. Four are Lemon Bay High School students, and one attends Florida Preparatory Academy.
Source: The Herald-Tribune    Date: April 27, 2003