Compton block party shooting leaves community activist, nursing student dead
Activist, nursing student shot, killed in Compton
Eric Washington, a former aide to California State Assembly Member Mike Gibson, and nursing student Meah Jenkins were shot and killed at a July 4 block party in Compton.
COMPTON, Calif. - The Compton community was rocked with grief and frustration following what turned out to be a violent Fourth of July holiday weekend that left a community activist and nursing student dead after shots were fired at a block party.
What we know:
Gunfire erupted at a Compton block party on Saturday, July 4 that resulted in the deaths of Eric Washington, a community activist and former aide to California State Assemblymember Mike Gipson, and nursing student Meah Jenkins.
The victims’ families said they are not just grieving the loss of loved ones, they are also outraged at some of the cruelty and bizarre behavior that occurred right before the shooting.
"This wasn’t supposed to happen to my little sister. She wasn’t affiliated with anything. She didn’t deserve this," Kayla Jenkins told FOX 11. She said her sister was a 19-year-old student at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
"To sit there last night and know he’s not going to walk through that door, I couldn’t sleep," Tina Johnson said. She also described him as a "beacon of light" and said that he dedicated his life to serving others. "I don’t know what happened to humanity."
What we don't know:
Information about a possible suspect or suspects has not been released.
Dig deeper:
Three others were also injured in the shooting that happened on the 700 block of West Laurel Street. About a mile and a half away, a separate shooting erupted and a man lost his life, authorities said. The back-to-back violence prompted the community to come together to say, "Enough is enough."
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What you can do:
Those with information are asked to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
The Source: This report is based on preliminary on-scene documentation from local authorities, official acknowledgments from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, and broadcast interviews with the victims' families.