A 16-year-old boy was shot to death in one of two deputy-involved shootings in the Southland in under four hours, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department reported Monday.
Anthony Weber of Los Angeles died at the scene of the first shooting, which occurred at 8:20 p.m. Sunday in the 1200 block of West 107th Street in unincorporated Westmont, abutting South Los Angeles, according to the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office.
Friends and family of Weber held a candlelit vigil Monday to defend and remember the teenager.
"I need it to be known that my son was a good son," his mother Demetra Johnson said. "He had the biggest heart and was a wonderful father; he has a 9-month-old daughter, Violet, who lights up whenever he walked into the room."
Deputies were called to the area because a young man was reportedly pointing a handgun at a motorist, sheriff's Deputy Wally Bracks said. Arriving deputies saw the suspect had a handgun tucked into his waistband, Bracks said.
The suspect allegedly ran from deputies, who pursued him on foot. During the chase, the boy turned toward the deputies and they fired at him, Bracks said.
"The subject was struck several times in the upper body by gunfire and collapsed at the location,'' Bracks said. No handgun has been found, the sheriff's department reported.
A 5 p.m. vigil and news conference are planned at the fatal shooting scene by civil rights leaders from Project Islamic Hope.
The department also reported a deputy-involved shooting in Artesia, which occurred at Horst Avenue and Artesia Boulevard at 12:08 a.m. Monday and left a 21-year-old man wounded.
News
Top news of the day
"A Lakewood Station deputy was patrolling the area of Artesia Boulevard and Norwalk Boulevard, when she saw the suspect,'' a sheriff's statement said. "Upon seeing the deputy, the suspect discarded a glass pipe, which is commonly used to smoke narcotics, and started running west on Artesia Boulevard.
"When the deputy attempted to contact the suspect, the suspect placed his hand inside the waistline of his pants and moved toward the deputy while yelling profanities,'' the statement continued.
The deputy then shot the man, who was hospitalized in stable condition, the sheriff's department reported.
"The suspect is a known local gang member and was found to be in possession of a knife and a small amount of methamphetamine,'' the statement said.
No deputies were injured in either shooting.
Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies held a townhall meeting to discuss the death of a 16-year-old who was shot by deputies Wednesday night. Outraged LA residents attended the meeting and called for Calilfornia's attorney general to investigate the Weber's death.
