Three men identified by police as gang members and a woman were arrested in the shooting death of a 19-year-old developmentally disabled man gunned down outside a Southern California carwash after he was confronted about the color of his shoes.
Tavin Terrell Price was shot from behind multiple times May 29 outside Simms Car Wash in the 3300 block of West Florence Avenue. He had just walked into a nearby smoke shop when a man asked him about his gang affiliation and commented on Price's red shoes, police said.
Price's mother Jennifer Rivers, who was with him when he was shot, said she has visited daily the cemetery where her son is buried.
"You viciously murdered my child in my face," she said at Tuesday's news conference about the arrests.
Price did not respond to the man who approached him and completed his purchase before returning to his car. A second individual "walked up behind Price" and opened fire, police said.
Price's mother, who could be a key witness, said she wants to face her son's alleged killers.
"Every day they're in court, I'm going to be there," she said. "I won't miss a day."
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Price, who would have turned 20 this month, died at a hospital. He was not involved in gang activity, family members said.
At a June 5 memorial for Price, mourners wore red in memory of the victim.
"I appreciate that, because that's what he got killed over -- some red shoes," said Rivers.
Antheyste Jarrett, 27, was arrested soon after the crime on suspicion of witness intimidation and being an accessory after the fact, police said. On June 17, detectives executed a search warrant at the home of Dwight Smith, 30, who was arrested on suspicion of murder, police said. A day later, Kevin Johnson, 25, also was arrested on suspicion of murder.
The suspected gunman, identified by police as 27-year-old Kanasho Shadrick Johns, was arrested Tuesday morning outside Houston, Texas, police said. He was initially identified as Kanasho Jones, but police later issued a correction.
The three men were identified as gang members.
"We have tragedy often in our community, but there are seldom times where we see senseless tragedies... where a young man is killed simply because of the color of his shoes," said William Scott, LAPD deputy chief of operations for South Bureau. "We thought those days were past us."
A $50,000 reward for information was approved by the City Council.
Call 323-786-5113 with information about the crime.
