'This is ours'

            

Eric Sims, 17, a black youth, was shot and killed near Budlong Avenue and 109th Street in South Los Angeles about 8:50 p.m. Monday, Aug. 11.

In a statement from the L.A. County Sheriff's Department, officials said Sims was riding his bicycle when a dark-colored compact car pulled up next to him and one of two Latino men inside the car fired at Sims, striking him in the lower torso, authorities said. The two men fled.

Sims' friend, Marquece Galloway, 18, said Sims had just left Galloway's home. "Thirty-seconds later I heard gunshots," Galloway said. "I ran out the street, and I saw him lying on the floor."  Galloway said he went to his friend's aide but didn't want to touch him. "He was trying to talk, but nothing came out," said Galloway softly, his eyes red.

Sims collapsed near the playground of Woodcrest Elementary School. Neighbors said they heard about six to eight shots. Resident Lynda Carruthers, 58, walked across the street to the school's gate. She tied a yellow paper sign with the words "Thou shall not kill" to the gate.

"Some people need a reminder," she told her other neighbors.

Residents in the 1100 block of 109th Street said they owned the block. There has never been a shooting incident there. "Between Vermont and Budlong, this is ours," Carruthers said.

Now, 28-year-old Rosaura Suarez said her children are not going to be playing outside. "They're going to have to stay inside the house," she said. Suarez said her 9-year-old daughter saw Sims lying on the sidewalk. "She didn't want to sleep alone, so she slept with me," Suarez said.

Galloway said Sims was goofy and never stepped back from a challenge. He said Sims played football at Washington Preparatory High School, about a block away from where he was shot. He said Sims lived with his aunt and had recently returned from Apple Valley, where his mother lived.

When asked why anyone would shoot a football player, Galloway said he believed that Sims' death was a racially motivated retaliation for an attack on Imperial Highway and Western Avenue on Sunday night, Aug. 10, in which three Latino men were shot dead. But the shooter in that incident was described by authorities as a Latino man.

Two men who live in the area said they had often seen Sims in the neighborhood.

"Just make sure you let people know that [Sims] didn't bang," one of the men said.

Update: The name of the elementary school is Woodcrest, not Crestwood.

—Ruben Vives / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[I cried too.]

I cried too when I saw his friend crying on tv. I lost my nephew on Nov 20 th 2007 Jeffrey. He riding a bike just like Eric and they shot him down like his life was worthless. But the only thing was that it was our own kind (BLACK on Black crime) He was a good kid like Eric was. He was the same age as Eric. I am so sorry; I think about him every day. He would had gradutated this June 2008. I really miss him so much. I read the homicide report often to find out if they found the killers from my nephew I will be praying for Eric and his family and the community.Please stop the volence and can we all just get along. Send those so callled black and Latino gangbangers to the military and fight in Gordan and Iraq . At least they can learn how to be heros instead of COWARDS.

[Foclipz]

Ive had it. In the words of Randy Rhodes "the news has been cancelled". The L.A. Times must gotten word from the Police agencies----SHUT DOWN THE HOMICIDE REPORT. DONT UPDATE THE COMMENTS DONT POST THE COMMENTS....THE MORE YOU DONT UP DATE IT....THE LESS PEOPLE WHO WILL READ IT AND EXPOSE L.A. COUNTY'S FAILURE TO POLICE ITS CITIES AND AREAS IN AN EFFECTIVE MANNER. How do people get to drive around and shoot some one and get away. Instead of illegal ailens the county and state should invest into technology that detcects gunfire and should rapidly activate cameras at major intersections and give police an imiediate parimeter to set up for police to block off streets in the area.......spend the money on this and watch people stop shooting.

[CHERIKA MILLER]

I AM SO SICK OF SEEING YOUNG PEOPLE BEING KILLED JUST BECAUSE. I MOVED FROM CALIFORNIA BACK TO MY HOMESTATE OF KY. FOR THIS VERY REASON. YOUNG PEOPLE NEED TO WAKE UP AND REALIZE YOU CANNOT TAKE SOMEONE'S LIFE BECAUSE OF THEIR SKIN COLOR. I BELIEVE THIS PEOPLE NEED TO ROT IN HELL. IT IS RIDICULOUS.

[JOHNNY GARAY]

Galway- you stated that you believe this was a "Racially motivated retaliation for an attack on Imperial Hwy/Western"....??? i think you should be very careful when you speak of such because all you will bring forth is a creation of what we dont want to see happen between our Brown and Black community, so be careful to know your facts on that particular incident that occured on Imperial Hwy/Western before you start to open your mouth again. "It is very important that we remain vigilant and cautious at this time for the sake of our children and community in general, take the time to be slow to speak for when lies get twisted -others become involved".

[JOHNNY GARAY]

I'VE MADE A COMMENT PRIOR TO THIS ONE, AND WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND MY GRIEF AND PRAYERS TO ERIC SIMS FAMILY. I WILL PRAY FOR ERIC SIMS AND HIS FAMILY, MAY YOU FIND PEACE AND BLESS YOUR HEARTS...

[Jenny S.]

So sad!! Another senseless murder. A young black man trying to do his thing and he cannot even visit a friend. Wake Up Angelinos-it's time to reclaim our city.

RIP young brother!

[Gone 2 Soon]

What a tragic loss. This kid wasn't even a gang member and sounds like he was trying to do his best to live a better life. I bet the Latino shooters are more than likely Catholics so where does it say it's ok for you to kill someone? I hope they get caught and the death sentence.

[ADREONNA]

I CANT BELIEVE IT ERIC REALLY GONE HE NEVER BEEN A BAD PERSON ALWAYS NICE N RESPECTFUL NOW WHAT DEANDRE GONE DO THAT WAS HIS FRIEND THEY WHERE CLOSE MAH BOYFRIEND HURT IS BROKE ALL I CAN REMEMBER IS WHEN WE US 2 BE ON 112TH 2GETHER WE HAD SO MUCH FUN NOW UR GONE SHAQUITA JAMES JAJA RED BUBBLES RICHARD MAC 9 MOST OF ALL DEANDRE GONE MISS U 9BALL WE LOVE U SO MUCH MAN U WILL NEVER B FORGOTTEN U WILL ALWAYS BE N MAH HURT I LUV U SO MUCH RIP MANN WRITN BY ADREONNA NICHOLS HE KNOWN AS RED

[ashley hamilton]

Rip Eric I will naver for get you in the prt of you that lives in my heart.........

[melvi]

This doesnt make any sense at all its just retarded and senseless ridiculous and everything above i hurt everytime when i read about things like this cuz ive been thru this i lost my father and very dear friend less than 2 months apart jus like this and its always the question is WHY? i pray for this young man family and 4 his soul. O yea this no snitchin thing got 2 go we know right from wrong it could be matter of time before we fall victim 2 this stupid violence we need 2 wake tha hell up.

[Tyrone "Older Brother"]

This is a question for anyone with family I mean brothers, sisters, sons, daughter, husbands, wives, mothers, fathers. What can you really say when you get a call that your family memeber has been killed. How do you react when you realize that the person that you have known forever will never speak to you again? How do you feel when a family member was killed for no reason? This goes way beyond color. How would you feel to turn on the TV and see your brother dead on the ground with a sheet over his body, picture every time you close your eyes that's what you see. It's time we all join as one becaus as you can see life is very short, and time is ticking.........

[stephanie]

I LIVE DIRECTLY DOWN THE STREET, SAME STREET 109 BUT MORE TOWARDS NORNMADIE. I SAW WHEN THE SHERIFFS, PARADEMICS AND FIRE TRUCKS CAME FLYING DOWN THE STREET AND JUST THOUGHT TO MY SELF, JUST ANOTHER PERHAPS ELDERLY PERSON SICK OR FALLING, NOT EVEN REALIZING SOME YOUNG CHILD HAD JUST BEEN SENSELESSLY KILLED. I HAVE A NEPHEW THATS BEEN LIVING WITH ME FOR THE PAST 8 MONTHS AND WAS ALLOWING HIM TO GO DOWN THAT SAME STREET AND HANG OUT AND WALK TO THE STORE WITH THE SAME KIDS THAT KNEW TIS YOUNG BOY, BUT THAT HAS STOPPED. SO CLOSE TO HOME IS WHAT I THINK EVERYTIME I PASS WOODCREST ELEMANTARY'S GATE WHERE THIS KID LAID, TOOK HIS FINAL BREATHE. ITS SCARY AND TO BE HONEST ALL THE SHERRIFF'S CARE ABOUT IS "THE GUNS AND THE DRUGS" INSTEAD OF THE YOUNG YOUTH GROWING UP IN THE COMMUNITY THE PATROL. I SEND PRAYERS TO THE GRIEVING FAMILY, NOTE THAT YOUNG ERIC IS IN A BETTER PLACE AND WILL FOREVER BE YOUNG!!!! BEST WISHES WITH UR GRIEVING, A NEIGHBOR

[Stephanie Clarke]

MAN ii JUS CANT BELiiEVE THAT ERiiC iiS REALLy G0NE..THAT WAS MA BABy..BEF0RE HE ACTUALLy M0VED BACC 2 L.A., HE ASKED ME SH0ULD HE STAY iiN APPLE VALLEY BESAUSE thEE REAS0N Y HE WAS iiN APPLE VALLEY WAS S0O HE W0ULD STAY 0UT 0F TR0UBLE...ii SAiiD YES BUT ii DiiDNT REALLy ENF0RCE iiT..ii WiiSH ii DiiD BECAUSE iiF ii DiiD HE W0ULD STiiLL BE HERE 2DAY...HE STiiLL HAD HiiS WH0LE LiiFE AHEAD 0F HiiM..HE WANTED 2 G0 2 C0LLEGE, MAKE iiT 2 thEE NFL....KiiD`z...iiT`z REALLy CARZy WAT thEE W0RLD HAS CUM 2...ERiiC NEVER DiiD NUTHiiN 2 N0B0Dy..HE WAS A GUD PERS0N AND ANy0NE WH0 KNEW HiiM CAN SAY thEE SAME...ii D0NT THiiNK ii CAN EVER 4GiiVE thEE PpL WH0 T0OK HiiS LiiFE...ii JUS WANT U 2 KN0W THAT N0 0NE CAN EVER FiiLL UR SP0T iiN MA HEART...U WiiLL ALWAY`z BE MiiSSED..R.ii.P ERiiC SiiMs…U WiiLL 4EVER LiiVE 0N THRU UR LUVED 0NES..ii LUV U

[yungfr3shz]

i dont kno what kind of person would do that man it hurts me so bad that i have to find out the hard way i thought he was alive and i knew him for a year in a half we was real close and we always goof off he was in mi class he was mi boi now i see why mi ppl dont want me in LA but i thought he was alive to i went to go visit him at the skool we went too but when i went his little sister said tim he died august 11th i told her she was lieng and she said no and she showed me a picture of him in a coffin he was a good football player and fast and nice to every one man we was like brother i wish i was with him but god is lookin after him and all i tryin to say that who ever did this was wrong now i dont have mi boy with me i miss ya brother R.I.P Eric Sims :(