Gang-Related News Articles

Indiana
One dead, two injured in weekend shootings (Fort Wayne, IN): Police are investigating three unrelated shooting deaths that left one teen dead and another two men wounded. The first shooting was apparently a drive-by attack that killed a 15- or 16-year-old boy. The second and third shooting left a 44-year-old man in critical condition and a 25-year-old man wounded. Police have no motives for any of the shootings and no arrests have been made.
Source: The News-Sentinel    Date: September 22, 2003

Wisconsin
Metcalfe Park gains anti-gang grant (Milwaukee, WI): Metcalfe Park and neighboring communities will receive $2.5 million as part of a new national project aimed at combating gang violence and other criminal behavior among youths. Milwaukee joins Los Angeles, Miami, and Richmond, Virginia, as the pilot cities for the federal initiative, called the Gang and Neighborhood Violence Project. The Governor of the state said, "This funding will support a partnership between federal, state, and local leaders to combat youth gang violence. It will empower local citizens to work together to make their neighborhoods safer." The project, which will last three years, will target the area's hard-to-reach youths. However, instead of the federal money going to social service agencies that serve youth, the money will aid individual families directly, in order to impact some of the conditions that factored into the youths' violent behavior in the first place. Milwaukee became a target for the project after a boy was beaten to death last fall by several people, mostly boys.
Source: Journal Sentinel    Date: September 22, 2003

Wisconsin
Man charged in two fatal shootings (Milwaukee, WI): A 23-year-old man was charged with first-degree intentional homicide in two fatal shootings. A 22-year-old man was also charged with felony murder in the second shooting. The motive for both shootings involved robbery and drug trafficking. Both suspects are alleged members of the Latin Kings street gang.
Source: The Associated Press State & Local Wire    Date: September 22, 2003

Illinois
Two men slain in weekend violence (Chicago, IL): Two unrelated murders in which a 26-year-old man was fatally shot and a man in his 30s was stabbed to death are being investigated by Chicago police. The shooting victim was found dead in the Irving Park neighborhood, and the other man was found dead in a hallway of Chicago Housing Authority's Cabrini-Green complex. In a separate incident, a 19-year-old man was charged with first-degree murder in the possible gang-related shooting death of a 17-year-old boy.
Source: Chicago Tribune    Date: September 21, 2003

Georgia
Josey cross-country runners report threats (Augusta, GA): Authorities are investigating a report that students from Josey High School's cross-country team were threatened by men who had guns in their cars. According to reports, the team members were running near an intersection when they were approached by several men driving three or four cars. When the cars stopped, 10 to 15 men exited the vehicles, and two of them pointed guns at the teens. After a brief argument, the men returned to their cars, and one of the vehicles brushed up against one of the boys, slightly wounding him. Witnesses said the conflict is between two gangs called the South Side Posse and The Sunset.
Source: The Augusta Chronicle    Date: September 21, 2003

California
Seven charged in murder-for-hire sting (El Centro, CA): Seven people, ranging from 21- to 38-years-old, accused of agreeing to be hired as killers in exchange for $80,000 were arraigned on federal charges. The suspects are believed to be part of a Logan Heights gang, authorities said. During the nine-month investigation led by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the suspects told undercover agents they were hired to kill people.
Source: The San Diego Union-Tribune    Date: September 20, 2003

New York
Long Island gang-slay shock (Long Island, NY): A 37-year-old man was brutally murdered by members of the 18th Street gang as he was walking home from work. Police say there may be a connection between the man's murder and an attack on a couple in their 30s hours earlier. The 18th Street gang is believed to be responsible for both attacks.
Source: New York Post    Date: September 20, 2003

New York
Nine busted in high school gang beating (Queens, NY): Nine teenagers were arrested for an alleged gang-related fight at Beach Channel High School that left multiple individuals with minor injuries, authorities said. Sources say the fight may have stemmed from an incident during the summer. Five teens, ages 17 and 18, were arrested for second-degree assault. Four minors were also charged.
Source: New York Post    Date: September 20, 2003

Illinois
Safety net will be cast at Crane (Chicago, IL): Chicago public schools are implementing a "safe passage" program to protect students traveling to and from school. The recent death of a 15-year-old teen, who police believe gang members mistook for a member of a rival gang, has prompted school officials to recruit 100 volunteers to stand on street corners around Crane High School for one hour in the morning and one hour in the afternoon.
Source: Chicago Tribune    Date: September 20, 2003

Massachusetts
Gang reportedly promoting unsafe sex (Worcester, MA): Two Worcester girls have been pressured into having unprotected sex with HIV-infected gang members as part of their initiation, executive director of the South Worcester Neighborhood Center said. He also went on to say that gangs in Worcester's Green Island and Main South neighborhoods have recently stepped up their recruitment efforts in an attempt to expand their turf. It was not confirmed if the girls had gone through with the initiation. No information on the gang was available. In response, local agencies are planning strategies to help inform people on the dangers of gangs and HIV.
Source: Telegram and Gazette    Date: September 20, 2003

Kansas
Shooting may leave Wichita man paralyzed (Wichita, KS): A gang-related shooting may have left a 27-year-old man paralyzed. The victim and the 29-year-old suspect, who are acquaintances, were allegedly arguing over a woman when the shot was fired. Police are searching for the suspect.
Source: The Wichita Eagle    Date: September 20, 2003

Louisiana
Drive-by shooting leaves Shreveport man injured (Shreveport, LA): A 23-year-old man was injured during a drive-by shooting in which occupants of a home were the targets. As a car approached a house, its passengers began firing shots. The occupants of the house returned fire, a witness said. A second car came up as bullets began to fly, and the driver was unsuccessful at swerving around the first car. The two cars collided, and the first car struck a tree. Occupants of both vehicles and occupants of the house fled. The 23-year-old victim, who was a passenger in the first car, suffered a gunshot wound and fell on the grass. The man was in serious condition. Investigation is continuing.
Source: The Times    Date: September 20, 2003

Illinois
Gang member is charged in stepfather's killing (Aurora, IL): A 23-year-old man has been charged with recruiting a pair of teenagers to kill his stepfather during a staged home invasion in Aurora, west of Chicago. Police originally thought the stepfather died from a shooting during a home burglary but later found that the shooting was orchestrated by his 23-year-old stepson. The suspect and his younger brother were apparently upset about how the stepfather treated their late mother. The older brother recruited two 16-year-old boys to shoot his stepfather. All three are in the same street gang and charged with murder. A 17-year-old boy was also arrested for driving the two gunmen to the home.
Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch    Date: September 20, 2003

Oklahoma
Tulsa program targets potential gang members (Tulsa, OK): The Oklahoma Board of Juvenile Affairs and Oklahoma Department of Central Services have approved an $80,000 contract with Youth Services of Tulsa for a new project designed to prevent north Tulsa youngsters from becoming gang members. According to the executive director of the Youth Services of Tulsa, a mentoring program will be used in conjunction with positive role models to keep youngsters in school and to prepare them for jobs that might keep them away from gangs. He also said the gang program will not target known, hard-core gang members. Instead, it will be looking at the younger brothers and sisters and young neighbors of those people. The program will measure its success by reporting how many of the targeted youngsters are participating and staying in school after six months, by the numbers of encounters with police the youngsters have, and by numbers of school offenses they receive.
Source: The Daily Oklahoman    Date: September 20, 2003

California
Two men sent to prison (Los Angeles, CA): Two reputed gang members, ages 25 and 28, convicted in a takeover-style bank robbery were sentenced to lengthy prison terms; 65 years and four months to life and 42 years and eight months to life in prison, respectively. The two men were convicted of 17 counts each, including kidnapping for purposes of robbery, robbery, assault with a firearm, and false imprisonment by violence.
Source: The Daily News of Los Angeles    Date: September 19, 2003

New York
Gang slay trio nailed (Massapequa, NY): Three members of the MS-13 gang were arraigned for the fatal shooting of a fellow 18-year-old member, whom they suspected was a snitch, police said. The three suspects, two 18-year-olds and a 29-year-old, believed that the victim cooperated with police on an MS-13 gang-related, drive-by murder that occurred last February. They are being charged with second-degree murder and criminal possession of a weapon. Another MS-13 member was arrested last month for the February homicide.
Source: New York Post    Date: September 19, 2003

California
Suspects in traffic slaying arraigned (Hayward, CA): Four men were arraigned in Alameda County Superior Court in connection with a traffic-lane slaying of a 19-year-old man. A 23-year-old man was charged with the actual murder as he allegedly fired the shots that killed the victim. All four men were charged with shooting into an occupied motor vehicle. In addition, the charges for all four defendants include a street terrorism clause, namely that the alleged crimes were committed for the benefit of, or in association with, a gang. The men are members of DGF, a local incarnation of the Norteo street gang. Police do not believe the victim or his passenger, who was shot in the leg, had any gang connections.
Source: Alameda Times-Star    Date: September 19, 2003

Massachusetts
Gangs, pushers, johns busted in Chelsea raid (Chelsea, MA): In Chelsea, dozens of alleged dope pushers, gang members, and johns were arrested during operation "Clean the Clock," a citywide crackdown on drugs and prostitution. Suspects were arrested on heroin, crack cocaine, and marijuana charges, including some with suspected ties to the violent MS 13 gang. According to police, gang recruitment has been on the rise for MS 13, the 18th Street gang, and the Latin Kings in Chelsea and East Boston.
Source: Boston Herald    Date: September 19, 2003

Nevada
Gang-style shootings investigated (Las Vegas, NV): Police are searching for suspects in a gang-related shooting that wounded four people in Las Vegas. At least some of the victims and the suspects are believed to be gang members, police said.
Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal    Date: September 19, 2003

South Carolina
Lexington 2 considers policy to deter gangs (Columbia, SC): Schools in Lexington's District Two may soon implement a discipline policy aimed at students who are involved in gangs. Students targeted are ones who use gang-hand signals, draw gang graffiti, or wear jewelry, clothing, or other items that imply gang affiliation. Parents of students who violate the policy would be notified of their children's possible gang involvement. A second violation would result in a student's name and photo being given to the Lexington County Sheriff's Department, which has a list of possible gang members in the area. After a third violation, a student would appear before the district's hearing officer and could be suspended or expelled.
Source: The State    Date: September 19, 2003