My classmate was shot and killed

[HandyAndy]

My classmate, his name was Victor was shot and killed last friday. I didnt really talk to him, he wasnt a real friend of mine either, he was 15, having a baby. Hes your typical ganster and whatnot, but his best friend, whom Ive known my whole life told me he had the biggest heart ever. He was a really nice guy if you got to know him. I had a brief chat with him that friday after noon and thats the last I saw of him. Now his story is all over the news. He was shot 5 minutes from where I live....sad.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/homicidereport/2008/04/youth-shot-and.html
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/04/19/state/n044822D02.DTL

 

[Purple-Haze]

This is very sad, Andy. It's always a very surreal feeling when someone you know (even briefly) dies so suddenly.

Sort of wakes you up to the reality of death.

Poor kid. I can't get over the fact that he was only 15!

 

[Comeback kid]

That was that kid on the news. That is sad. What's kind of scary is how close to home it is. I remember when someone did a drive by few feet away from my front door and shot someone. If me and my mom were out there we could of been shot. My mom didn't know what it was but i got down on the ground and we were living in a pretty safe neighborhood back then. And you actually interacted with him.

 

[Ken785]

He lives in Hollywood...maybe they'll make a movie out of him!!....seriously, @ 15 you are too young and ignorant to know that the "gangster" path is not the way to go. Glad you're on here trying to improve the quality of your life instead of fvcking it up like your friend Andy.

 

[KontrollerX]

Damn sorry to hear that HandyAndy.

I knew a kid that was always friendly to me back in highschool and he was involved in shady things as well.

He ended up dying as the result of a car wreck trying to steal a car.

His buddy was driving and somehow they got flipped.

The buddy survived but he did not.

He was only 17.

 

[Redsand426]

Was he the victim of a random shooting or did he provoke someone? Just curious... but either way its a never ending cycle. Someone who was close to Victor is probably looking to gun down his killers as I type this.

 

[EricInTheHouse]

Most likely it was over drugs, very unfortunate.
It's a scary world, and Hope your school will help kids in need after this...
sorry for your loss kiddo.

 

[HandyAndy]

You know how gangsters are (or maybe not) they shot him because he was gang related. He had a very tough look going for him, slick hair, beard, big, baggy, oversized khakis and a white tee, typical. The black mustang ( i heard this from his best friend, my friend) circled around a few times, and on the 3rd time they shot him.

 

[EricInTheHouse]

There is a lot I don't understand about humans, and this is one of them.
I guess those of us that are fortunate enough to be raised in crime free, nice enviroments should really be grateful for it. So many young kids that see the worst things so early in life: People being shot, drugs, abuse, prostitution. It's truly and endless cycle, and it seems to just get worse.

I wouldn't let on to much that you were a friend of his...you never know if those shooters get word of that and come for you... StayFrosty kid.

 

[penkitten]

i am sorry to hear about your classmate, but i want to assure you that death is not something we should fear.
death happens to everyone, none of us get out of here alive...
with that being said, the universe never lets a soul leave until the moment it is ready to let go .

 

[Yookiwooki]

I'm going through a similar experience. Last monday, my friend and teammate Alex collapsed and died after a race at a track meet.

He was in my race; right next to me. I remember telling him to go for the first even as I ran behind him.

Warming up for another meet three days later I realized that it was my first time since I joined track that I was warming up without him. I miss him so much.

I guess stuff like this will happen to a lot of people. Everyone hears of car accidents, shootings, etc. that happen to kids. But this happened to a non smoking, non drinking, non druggie, Honors Student/Athelete who had no history of health problems. Sometimes it can happen to anyone. There was absolutely no warning. His last memory is probably hearing me cheering him on.

Stuff like this makes me realize that you have to appreciate your life and the lives of your friends. Theres no point in being afraid of stuff like this happining, nothing you can do will change it. You just need to be aware that every little thing you do is part of your life, and shouldnt be wasted.

 

[EricInTheHouse]

i am sorry to hear about your classmate, but i want to assure you that death is not something we should fear.
death happens to everyone, none of us get out of here alive...
with that being said, the universe never lets a soul leave until the moment it is ready to let go .

This is why we all need to live each day for what it's worth..not letting all the small stuff bother us... Life is so much more than driving the latest SUV or having bills payed on time...

So many people die unhappy, that is sad, and I for one will die happy.. I no longer let everything bother me...

As a pilot, seeing the stars pass you buy at 7 miles high ,not like you're looking up at them, but rather like you're among them.. That is a view I wouldn't give up for anyone or anything, even death.

I'm hoping to resume my pilotry really soon, and if I die up in the sky....well I'll die happy and wouldn't want it any other way.. We al can just try to live happy, lend a hand to someone that needs it, be easy on yourself, and your soul will shine, so everyone will say after you die..... "You know... that guy was a damn nice person"

 

[War Against Betaism]

Holy crap it happened on Friday? I was just in Hollywood on Friday, I actually left there around 6:30. Dang that sucks, do you know the reason for the shooting?

 

[ready123]

that sucks man. I was at Sanam on Coldwater Canyon last Friday

Back in high school I had a friend who was shot in the head on Van Nuys Blvd by gangbangers. I have another friend who's currently a fugitive because he ordered a driveby on a bunch of gangstas in Riverside. One dude was killed. Found out later the guy who was killed was another friend's homie, and that friend had been urging him to get out for 2 years. I also went to elementary school with the guy Alpha Dog is based off

At 29, most of the gangstas I knew are either screwed (fugitives, prison, dead) or turned their life around and are doing well on the straight and narrow. Life is too short for stupid little beefs

 

[HandyAndy]

Holy crap it happened on Friday? I was just in Hollywood on Friday, I actually left there around 6:30. Dang that sucks, do you know the reason for the shooting?

Not yet, it was def. gang related. They shot him because the way he was dressed and looked. I grew up my whole life with his best friend, infact i can walk to her house in less than a minute if i wanted to. Ill get all the details from her as they get unconvered

 

[War Against Betaism]

Hmmm, all this gangbanging stuff just pisses me off. I live around Carson and I would understand why people there and in east side Long Beach would gangbang, but then I went further up north to the Westminister and Temecula area for parties, it's flooded with wannaba gangbangers and posers. There's no reason to gangbang when you're in a rich area, especially when you're rich yourself. I just don't understand, is it really cool to gangbang? This one party I went to in Temecula, right when I was about to leave the party there's a bunch of guys outside saying to each other "Hey guys man let's go gangbang." I just shook my head in disgust.

 

[Bible_Belt]

My condolences, Andy, and to everyone else here who lost someone. Life can always end abruptly for any of us. Like pk said, none of us get out of here alive.

 

[Colin O'Brien]

My condolences to you and to everyone he knew

Something kind of like this happened last year here in Santa Barbara, there was a gang-related stabbing (14 yr old killed a 15 yr old) right downtown in the middle of the day. I was a few blocks away when it happened.

People need to understand that even if something like this is gang related, it is downright ignorant to entirely blame the individual. Obviously the entire gang scene is stupid and these kids shouldn't have been caught up in it anyway, but a large amount of the blame must be placed on society; the conditions that these young people grow up in are very, very conducive to joining a gang. And SB is a small town, it's 1000x worse in LA.

This kind of **** can be stopped, it all starts with eliminating poverty... but until we elect a government that truly cares about the kinds of families and communities that Victor lived in, nothing will change.

 

[War Against Betaism]

That's what I mean; for those that actually live in the ghetto, gangbanging is justified. It may not be the right thing and there are always alternatives, but there is a reason to it. For those that gangbang and live in rich areas and are rich themselves, it's so fvcking stupid. I started partying more in the northern parts of the LA county and OC area, but it's the same sh!t, everyone wants to act hard.

 

[HandyAndy]

I dont even live in a bad area at all. Its pretty nice actually, its filled with alot of hispanics and armenians, a load of wannabe gangsters but not much crime. This is a big surprise to me and everyone in the area

And today the teacher accidentally called his name out during roll call.