Curtis Richardson, 13

Curtis Richardson, a 13-year-old black youth, was shot multiple times at 5411 2nd Ave. about 5 p.m. Monday, March 17.  According to investigators, Richardson was standing with a friend when a suspect or suspects walked up to him and shot him several times. He was taken to California Hospital Medical Center, where he was declared dead at  7:43 p.m. Anyone with information can call the LAPD's 77th Street Division detectives at (213) 485-4175.

(You have reached the end of the weekly listing of homicide victims in Los Angeles County, March 17 - 24, 2008.)

Comments

[jasmine]

man i miss u yo mom and daddy to yo bday was real kool ........... man all yo sis miss u .... cookie was going crazy man .... man i miss ma lil cuzin ... so much

[Malaika Carr]

C.J. Your'e CousinMalaika, Malik & Alaysia LOVE U ALWAY'S & FOREVER. YOU WILL ALWAY'S BE REMEMBERED AND IN OUR HEARTS.

[Malaika Carr]

CJ was my uncle's only son. He CARED & LOVED his son very deeply. It really hurts my heart to hear that something like this happened to such a beutiful, young, loving child. WE STILL LOVE U CJ. YOU WILL ALWAYS BE IN OUR HEARTS!!!

[ANGEL CJ BIG SISTER SAME MOTHER SAME FATHER]

CJ U WILL BE MISSED

[danny]

for all those people that didn't know CURTIS RICHARDSON need to stop speaking up on him because yall didn't know him like i know him so stop leaving those comments about hm he was a very smart young man and he was at the wrong place at the wrong time. R.I.P CURTIS RICHARD MY BESTFRIEND SO FUCK ALL HATERS

[Moe]

this story is so sad and i hope stories like this will one day cease. I feel for the family and wanted to offer my deepest sympathy and prayers.

[peace in LA]

While parenting and many other things can be blamed for a childs death, citing bad parents and violent neighborhoods are easy fingers to point. Anyone can get caught up. Simple as that. The fact that you live in one of those violent neighborhoods just means you have a greater chance of getting caught up. People believe in simple solutions and think parents are the only ones to blame, however, this violence has developed and intensified for many reasons. People can sit far away from the violence and read about it and comment on what others need to do, however, there is no understanding of violence and the reality of the streets. Too many deaths of young people in LA. Basing arguments on stereotypes don't help with the solution either. peace!

[UNIQUE-O]

yes mike in the valley, south central is just like bangladesh! ajajaja
do you people think before you type? you know nothing of this child and you want to comment on them. and if he did choose the wrong path, how dare you have no sympathy for that. 13 year olds are not free thinking individuals. he was a lil kid. its a sad tale how this young man was misled. thats all i will say as i was not a part of his life. i was not at the funeral and i dont know if attendants were gang members or not. i can not speak on that. but that does not matter. some people jus dont get it. a young man was killed and that is a tragedy. i live in LA and people like mike might as well be in bangladesh.

[Mike in Northridge]

No children should be shot and killed like this boy, but come on---call a spade a spade---this boy obviously did not have parents that looked after him properly or they would have ensured that he did not "hang out" with known gang members. When are the parents in South Central (there are parents down there right?) going to step up and PARENT---with TWO parent households. Or are they simply interested in having more and more kids out of wedlock at a young age and letting gangs and the street raise them? TIME FOR A REALITY CHECK (and some domestic carpet bombing. I live in LA and South LA might as well be Bangladesh!

[Tony]

Wow, adult gang members at this child’s funeral, representing the very life style that got this kid killed. Adult gang members should be considered child predators; they prey on the innocence of children. They use children and then let them die on the streets. How can they live with themselves? Did the parents know that their child hung out with gang scum?

[Community Member]

I didn't intend for anyone's feelings to be hurt and I didn't intend to give peace or comfort. I see too many kids make childish mistakes that affect their entire lives. Maybe this was not the place to mention that. I did so because I know many of Curtis' friends who also pretend to be gang members will read this and maybe find some other way to feel important. Daily, I try to let parents and students know the possible affects of the things they do, but no one seems to care until bad things happen to them or people they know. Curtis had for many months prior to this, been doing very well with bringing up his grades and making fewer childish mistakes. However, gangsterism is a mistake that can become a life of its own.

[kim smith]

there was comment from la'zee this child with the father & mother you spoke about supported this child's gang activity it's ok to express your feeling and it is not right for someone to make ill comments but let's put the truth on the table his funeral was not only filled with children who want to be in gangs but alot of ADULT GANG MEMBER MOURNERS TO SUPPORTthe family there is no way in hell there should have been that many adult gangsta's which is sad and unforunate. i even fell out with my own sister for letting her two children go to a 13 year olds funeral that had to be patrolled by police that in itself shows that something aint right. above i wrote an email and will continue to say it's sad that are children are being killed in our communities but these og's instead of being in attendance representing their hood and their infant homies they needed to stand before those in attendance and said let's stop this violence let's stop killing our people meaning latinos blacks asians whites whomever because we are all GOD"S children as a human race. why should we have to watch our backs walking down the streets why should we have to be afraid to stand in our own yards why should we have to be in fear and wonder if today is my day so you as one too that has to live in this rat race city and saying shut up you should be saying lets all start staying prayed up cause some of those that did comment negatively may possibly like you know the real of his history .

[Someone who new this kid..]

I know this young man he use to hang out at my house and he was a good kid. I will miss him so much. I can't believe that this happen I just seen him that same day.. He will be forever missed. And may god watch over his family..

[michael ryston]

Hey Tiffany..........

Yes, I know it is difficult to hear, but it is true. No one will care if you do not care about yourself.

A short analogy....
Think back at how much outrage was expressed during such incidents as Rodney King, the death of the teenager driving a stolen car after being shot by an officer, the list goes on.

Just think what the community could accomplish if that much outrage was expressed when gang violence occurrs. The lack of outrage, and acceptance of what happens is what allows it to continue.

Try organising your community to react with such outrage, that Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, and all of the others who only show their faces when the police mess up, come to your aid when these crisis occurr.

You must stand up daily, all of you, before this night mare will end. Angry words on this blog will not get the job done. Certainly, getting mad at me for speaking my mind wil do A B S O L U T E L Y N O T H I N G

[G Rider]

Who was it that killed this little boy? Bro's or Hispan? Parents, must step up and protect your children! It's a most!

[Andra]

I just happened to be flipping through a section on the newspaper that i rarely read. I saw this and did a double take because it was a short mention of a 13 year old gunned down. I have a 13 year old so I did a triple take. why is this not on the news? This is an outrage and I hope the family contacts the mayors office. My heart bleeds for this child and his family. You are in my thoughts and prayers. God have mercy on us all.

[A Fan of the BLOG]

ABOUT: He was one of many kids who like to hang around with gang members, like to say that he represented a gang and would write gang-related things all over his schoolwork and belongings.

MY TAKE: Black, Hispanic, Whatever should have the option to act like he's in a gang because he's in his youth and children are dumb that way. They should not be murdered for playing or pretend time. He was pretending to be a part of something that made him feel like he was somebody. Someone who didn't care went and shot him down.

[LA'ZEE]

IM COMMENTING TO THE PEOPLE WHO SPOKE ON CURTIS....IF U DIDNT KNOW HIM OR HIS FAMILY THEN WHAT U HAVE TO SAY REALLY DONT MATTER...I HATE THAT PEOPLE ALWAYS HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY ABOUT A PERSON THEY DONT KNOW...HE STILL WAS A BABY A CHILD,I DONT CARE WHERE HE LIVED OR WHO HE HUNG AROUND HE STILL IS A DAMN BABY,,SO MY POINT TO U PEOPLE THAT HAVE DUM STUFF TO SAY AT THE WRONG TIME,SHUT UR FACE!!!!!WHAT KIND OF A PERSON ARE YOU TO EVEN TYPE THE WRONG THINGS TO SAY...HE HAS A MOTHER AND A DAD AND A FAMILY WHOS HURTING REAL BAD SO PLS JUST SHUT UP.....

[paco]

I believe "MR Ryston" is correct, if these people put any value in their own life, they would not so easily take the life of others, it is just a 'big game' to these people, they have no morals or values, and it all starts at home.

[A Mother]

My sympathy to the family and friends. It is difficult to have a loved one pass, but at such a young age it is devastating. I wish you peace and comfort.

Community Member, what was your real reason for posting a comment on here? It certainly was not to offer comfort to the family. You sound messy to me.

[Tiffany from Compton]

It really is a shame, this young man never got the chance to experience the wonderful things life has to offer..... I don't know him or his family but I am a mother and I cannot even imagine the pain his mom must feel.

And to "Michael Ryston" is that suppose to be "words of wisdom?". I find it to be really absurd, be part of the solution the world has enough of the sarcasm and negativity.

[michael ryston]

Before others will care, you must care about yourself.

[Antonia]

Why was this terrible crime not reported on the local TV news? The only way to deter these killings is to report them broadly. The public has a right to know about what is going on in this city. L.A. is becoming a hell hole. Mayor Villaraigosa, this needs to be your #1 priority. This city is unsafe. You need to solve this major problem!!!

[kim smith]

this is just unbelivible another child gunned down in our streets of los angeles let me retract on this the streets of these gangstas cause it's no longer our streets innocent people are being killed for no reason or some reason but its a senseless reason beverly hills an innocent 51 yr old man was shot and killed it's not safe there anymore we as citzens have to find a way to take back our streets these big og's need to start gettin at these lil youngstas and lettin them know that stripes is over education and knowledge is what's in. i have 2 grandsons 4 & 6 and i'm so afraid that if it's this bad now they will literaly be hermits inside there own home and who's to say a stray bullet won't come threw the walls i fear for these young men these as i drive i see them turning around 20 times trying to watch there backs in just a block long that's when you know there life aint right now here this family has tto burry and grieve the lost of this child while the cowardless individual who did this has the nervr to go to sleep at night you maybe going to sleep at night but for sure it's with one eye open and one eye close and it aint from the signs of the police staken you out it the sign that GOD is the one who's watching you and his judgement is far worst the a jail sentence or the possibility of rear end being taken behind those walls cause hell is real and heated up just for peple like you God bless this family as you lay your burdens on theLord for his hands to touch your heart

[duchess]

this iz a damn shame not one word on the news not one unbeleivable who woulod murder a child like that that is just awful i hope the really start utilizing the death penalty in a quicker fashion no APPEALS KILL EM QUICK GUARANTEE IT WILL STOP MY CONDOLENCES TO THE FAMILY OF THIS BABY PLEASE GOD GIVE THEM PEACE

[Community Member]

He was one of many kids who like to hang around with gang members, like to say that he represented a gang and would write gang-related things all over his schoolwork and belongings.

Still a kid tho, still dead, still very sad for those who will miss him. His friends are planning to remember him by attending his funeral wearing their gang attire. Even sadder.

[tashamae]

MY AUNTIE IS VERRY HURT FROM THIS,THESE GANG BANGERS NEED TO STOP THIS THEY ARE KILLING OUR LOVING BABIES,MY CUSIN WAS ONLY 13 AND MY AUNTIE LOVED HIM DEARLY AND SHE LIVE FOR HER 3 BABIES AND HER GRAND-DAUGHTER, THIS IS NOT FARE WE HAVE TO DO SOME-THING ABOUT THIS KILLING SO WE CAN SAVE THE BABIES THAT ARE HERE, BUT AUNTIE I LOVE YOU AND "CJ" IS IN A BETTER PLACE THAN WE ARE, MUCH LOVE "CJ"BIG CUSIN TASHAMAE!!!!

[MADISON]

omg...im stuck..all i can say is curtis...i cant believe u gone i just lost my boyfriend{joshua thierry last oct which is 6m ago,now curtis..this year is starting off bad already...i seen him when josh died and he was telling me if i needed someone to talk to he would be there for me but what i didnt know was he was only 13 years old,he didnt act like it....but omg hes gone...but im so tired of crying..hey what else can i say about the streets of LA...TO THE REST OF MY FRIENDS PLS BE CAREFUL I WOULD HATE TO LOOSE ANOTHER....PLS.........TO CURTIS I LUV U LIL BOY..............

[Derrick]

A 13 year old boy is gunned down and nothing about this is mentioned on the TV news. I don't know if this kid was a gang member or just a innocent victim. So many young black and latino men are dying that it is becoming no big deal anymore.

[keenan ellis]

To my young family member Curtis Richardson III, we will miiss you and you will never be forgotten.

Big Keenan