City already exceeds last year's homicide total
In 2005, a decade-high 58 killings brought an uproar from community members and elected officials, putting crime at the top of any political platform.
In 2006, crime and homicide was down. There were 46 homicides all of last year.
This year, there have been 49 homicides, already passing last year's total with two months to go and putting the city on pace to set a new decade high for killings.
Read below for a story on a Saturday night drive-by that claimed the life of a 22-year-old and put three children in the hospital with wounds.
By Robert Rogers
SAN BERNARDINO - A 9-year-old boy struck in a Saturday night drive-by shooting that killed one man and wounded two teenagers will fully recover from his wounds, police said Monday.
Four people, including the child, were shot in front of a Westside taco stand around 8 p.m. Oct. 20 when someone in a white or gray small car cruised by and opened fire, shedding blood and scaattering the crowd.
The shooting left 22-year-old Deivon McGee lying dead in front of Tacqueria Vasquez, a walk-up fast-food stand near the corner of Medical Center Drive and Union Street.
“I ran out there and I saw Deivon there,” said Joun Seder, a liquor store owner who was chatting with McGee just moments before the deadly burst.
“I tried pumping his chest, but he was shot in the head, blood was everywhere,” Seder said. “He was already gone.”
But 9-year-old, whose fate police said was in doubt the day before, will fully recover, said Lt. Scott Paterson.
“He’s alive and he’s going to survive,” Paterson said of the boy, whom police have declined to name. “He’s recovering after surgery.”
A 14-year-old suffered a wound to his foot and was released from the hospital Sunday. The 16-year-old, whom family members and Seder say was struck in the head, was recovering at an undisclosed hospital after surgery on Monday, Paterson said.
Seder said the 9-year-old, who, like McGee, can be seen on Seder’s store surveillance cameras moments before the shooting, was hit by a bullet that passed through his arm and lodged in his chest.
“His dad said it didn’t hit any vital organs,” Seder said. “He’s going to be okay.”
Seder, who knows most of his customers by name, said he was riffing with McGee just moments before his death about cars and pro football games scheduled for the next day. Seder had a picture of McGee taped to an empty candy box on his counter, a slit in the top for donations to help with his funeral.
Two days after the deadly hail of gunfire - nine rapid-fire shots can be heard in Seder’s store video - a cluster of candles atop a macabre stain marked the violence in front of the taco stand.
Whipping winds and a brown haze from area fires swirled around the neighborhood Monday, as children and adults stopped to gaze at the streetside memorial. It sat just feet away from the concrete-table dining area where the victims congregated before gunfire erupted.
But this neighborhood has been ablaze with violence for years, residents said, with Saturday’s flare-up just the latest incarnation.
Seder noted that earlier this year a young man named Edward Griffin was gunned down right outside his liquor store. A few blocks north, 11-year-old Anthony Michael Ramirez and 14-year-old Jarred Mitchell were killed in separate shootings last year.
“It’s a tough area,” Paterson said, adding that police have no suspects but believe the shooting is gang-related.
“It has been for some time. We have periodic actions between the different gangs in that area.”
The shooting could also factor into political decisions, particularly anti-crime strategies. Operation Phoenix, Mayor Pat Morris’ anti-crime plan, is facing a crucial decision about where - and whether - to expand at a Nov. 19 city council meeting.
Jim Morris, the mayor’s chief of staff, gave the strongest indication yet that the mayor will push for a Phoenix move into the Westside - and that anything less would be unacceptable.
“I think there would be a significant backlash from the community given what has happened in the past 18 months,” of Phoenix operations in another part of the city, Morris said.
“To sort of not take a model that has been proven to be successful in addressing localized crime; to not deploy that (in the Westside) would be downright irresponsible,” Morris said.
-robert.rogers@sbsun.com (909) 386-3855
For crime to be down in this city, my partner and I sure have been busy!
Don't worry! The local yokles aren't paying attention!
According to what this local yokel has been reading some vultures haven't been to busy
Homicides already exceeding last year with 2 months to go. As a matter of fact all crime is up except for a few less cars being heisted.
Reports showing San Bernardino Police Officers arrest are way down. What have some of the vultures been up doing while all this is going on?
This is just great - a man murdered by a gang banger
- a 16 year old wounded in the foot - a little 9 year old having to fight for his life - A Police Officer down - while those who need one another's help instead go to war of words with one another.
While the Gang Bangers laugh away and plan their next act of violence.
Jim Morris says bring on the Phoenix Program.
Meaning Pat Morris the Mayor put a towel around his neck and jumps up on his orange crate .. and yells to the Parks and Recreations Department "We have a HOT SPOT!" That is not true. He does not do that!
He does not say "Lets not use the closest schools or park facilities - instead lets spend money on another building or club house to send the kids off to.
"Lets get the Code Compliance Department to earn their pay by not waiting for a complaint to come in before the check out a complaint."
His program is more of - Get the photographers out to see the Mayor out Mayoring in the community instead of setting in his big chair back in his office or complaining about certain city council people not bowing down to his majestic presents and spending funds according to his exact wants and wishes!
Lets not use special grants or set up some type of scholar ships for students up at the college to come down to the schools as they let out to handle special parks and recreation programs for the kids so they don't have to walk the streets to the Mayor's would be club houses. The list goes on.
Now! Get the photographers! A man has been MURDERED! A teen shot in the foot!
A little boy had to fight for his life after being shot!
ITS TIME FOR THE PHOENIX PROGRAM and MAYOR MORRIS! Anyone that says different is out of line!
Course and 11 year old was shot to death just a year ago near the same area just a year ago!
No Phoenixing talked about for that area then.
Another shot to death in the same area not all that long ago!
No Phoenixing for the area then.
The Mayor can go on Phoenixing this entire CITY but until he begins with proving he can solve
at least one MAJOR PROBLEM and not solving it means there is NO PHOENIX PERIOD, no matter
how you dress it up.
The Gang Bangers and all the Parolees and Sexual Predators that choose return to crime will continue to ROLL ON!
With the minor problem of his majestic MAYOR Forgetting about his absolute need to bond with
and stopping the war between him and them the men and women
the POLICE OFFICERS of the San Bernardino POLICE DEPARTMENT! - UNTIL THEN JUST DREAM ON!