Glassell Park gunman identified

The 22-year-old gunman killed in a wild shootout in Glassell Park yesterday has been identified by police as Daniel Ivan Leon, a member of the Avenues gang.

Leon died after a drive-by attack that left a 37-year-old bystander dead. The man, who police have not yet identified, was shot a dozen times. Police say the 2-year-old girl walking hand-in-hand with him at the time of the shooting was whisked away by witnesses and is physically unharmed.

Times staffers update the developing story.

--Veronique de Turenne

Comments

[JC]

WHO ARE YOU TO SAY ANYTHING ABOUT JESSE & DANNY? DID YOU KNEW HIM?? NO YOU DIDNT. YOU JUST READ AND BELIEVE IT. YOU DIDNT KNOW THEM AND YOU NEVER WILL, SO YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO SAY THEY WERE MONSTERS. ESPECIALLY YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO WISH HELL ON THEM BECAUSE YOU YOURSELF IS NO ANGEL. LIKE I SAID NO OF YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO JUDGE THEM REGARDLESS OF WHAT THEY MIGHT HAVE DONE. NO EVEN US THAT DO KNOW THEM HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE JUDGING THEM. LET THEM REST IN PEACE & PRAY THAT THEIR SOULS ARE IN HEAVEN!!

[WHO CARES WHO I AM]

DEAM U GUYS ARE JUST TALKERS AND DONT KNOW WHATS GOING ON. PEOPLE GET A LIFE AND STOP TALKING ABOUT OTHER U GUYS THINK THE AVENUES KILLED MY CUZIN DANNY LOOK BACK AND FIND OUT HIS INFO AND THEN TALK. THAT'S ALL U GUYS COME AND DO. YEA HE DID LOVE HIS KIDS AND FAMILY AND YEA U GUYS THINK THAT, THE GUY HOLDING A BABY WAS A HERO YEA RIGHT HE WAS FROM CYPRESS PARK!!!!! THATS WHY HE GOT KILLED BECUSE HE KILLED DANNYS LITTLE BROTHER SO HE DESRVED IT!!!!!!!AND LIKE U GUYS SAY DANNY IS IN HELL BUT SO IS THE GUY HOLDING A BABY HE WASENT INNOCENT!!!!!!

[Sofistk8ddd USC Doctor]

I too grew up in Atwater and Glassell Park. I attended Irving MS and attended one of the 3 surrounding high schools. It is all too easy for any young latino/a to end up in one of the several gans in the area. There are no immediate solutions to stopping all of the killings, robberies, crimes, and unjust events that occur in that area. I have attended college, have a BA, 2 masters, and even a doctorate from USC (FIGHT ON!!!) I did this with the help of few teachers that believed in me, parents that cared, and a drive to succeed. I no longer live in the area as there are only so many blinders I could put up...I needed to move for the sake of my family. LA gangs, the media, the movie industry, all contribute a big part of how one feels living in the city. Will I get shot by the idiot that thinks I am "dogging him?" These type of kids should not be considered angelenos but "devil-ninos!" That area is sprawling, especially silverlake and Eagle Rock. I think the young kids will only have it harder to live a straight law-abiding life. What the President of the U.S., the state representatives, senators, governor of CA, LA county board members, Mayor of LA, city council members, and constituents of that area should do is request/demand more after school programs, head-start programs, and summer enrichment programs for the youth. An after school program would cost $2,000 a year to run versus the $30,000-$40,000 a year it cost everyone to house an inmate. This in not the sole factor as to why many kids drop out or why they turn to gangs. Half of all of Irving MS students (1,700 students) will not graduate high schools. It is also a cultural and low SES thing as to why many Latinos do not graduate HS and attend college. There are an endless # of opportunities for any young person of any race to make the best of their lives. I beat the odds, I hope some of you young NE LA young'ins do too!

[star]

well as a person that lives near the shooting sight i have to say that its real scary to walk around in Cypress because you never know if there will be a drive by...

its sad that these people are getting killed but it can serve as a model for youngster not to participate in such activities...

there have also been other shootings one involving a teen....

as for the families i feel bad that you lost a loved one but what can you expect if that loved one is in a gang?...

RIP all who have been killed from both side

may good have mercy on your souls...

[Leo]

I have to agree with both James Shaw and UCLA Jr. Having grown up in the area, I know that the majority of kids DO NOT end up in gangs. The parents need to wake up and realize that the schools, the teachers, and the cops are trying to keep their kids safe, alive, educated, and focused on a better future for each and everyone one of them. I've worked with professionals who grew up in frog town and then worked their way through USC and UCLA. We have many, many young Latinos who grew up in Lincoln Height, Highland Park, Cypress, Glassel, who today - in the mid-twenties - are responsible, ethical, people with integrity. I especially commend all those Latlino dads I see out there working full time and then rushing home to take their boys to soccer practice. They spend their time with their families, not their homies, getting high and plotting to shoot next because someone crossed out your tag. For those Latinos, I can only say, what a waste of skin! And for those women - mothers and girlfriends - who make excuses for them - I can only say, have some dignity. You dishonor our culture and our history by standing by losers. Too many of our fathers and grandfathers served in this country and believed in a better life. There is no reason you can't make the most of opportunities. And for Candace Ruiz - wake up girlfriend. Adolph Hitler was good to his mother and girlfriend too. That did not make him a good person. (And I'm assumsing you actually have gone to school and know who that is!)

[jr]

I GREW UP IN THAT AREA AND ACTUALLY ATTENDED WASHINGTON IRVING MIDDLE SCHOOL WITH THE DECEASED, DANNY LEON. WE BOTH GRADUATED THE SAME YEAR, WHICH WAS 1999. I UNDERSTAND THE TERMOIL THAT GOES ON IN THE SURROUNDING NEIGHBORHOODS OF GLASSELL PARK, ATWATER VILLAGE, AND ELYSIAN PARK. WE ALL HAVE A CHOICE TO SURVIVE AND FIND A BETTER LIFE OUT OF THE GANG LIFE, BUT SOMETIMES YOU CAN GET CAUGHT UP IN THE VIOLENCE. I'AM NOW ATTENDING UCLA BUT ALSO STILL HAVE TO SURVIVE FROM BOTH WORLDS, THE BOOKS AND THE STREETS. ITS SAD TO SEE THE PEOPLE I GREW UP WITH GO DOWN THIS ROAD. I REMEMBER PLAYING AN INNOCENT GAME OF BASKETBALL IN IRVING MIDDLE SCHOOL AND SLOWLY EACH PLAYER JUST FADING AWAY, AS WE GOT OLDER.

[James E. Shaw, Ph.D.]

In the aftermath of the LAPD shootout with the AK47-armed gunman in Glassell Park who shot an unarmed man twelve times, as he was out strolling hand-in-hand with a two-year old toddler, and killed him, Tuesday (February 26) morning's television news showed a small parade of angry parents berating the Los Angeles Police Department for "not letting our kids use the bathroom," "telling our children to move along, this is an emergency," and "nobody gave our kids anything to drink."

The dead gunman was a member of the notorious Avenues gang. In his honor, his gang "homies" quickly erected a shrine, replete with colorful flowers and burning candles. They drank to his memory and mourned him as a "loyal, fallen soldier who represented the Avenues." Angry parents, instead of repeatedly criticizing the Los Angeles Police Department for taking extraordinary measures to protect school children from a gang barbarian walking around shooting off a AK-47 semi-automatic military weapon, ought to storm the Avenues members' homes and gathering spots, in a moving blitz, and verbally denounce them for the fear, intimidation, and destruction they continuously cause the Glassell Park community. Then they ought to go to the Los Angeles Criminal Courts and testify on the witness stands against them to ensure their long "vacations" in state penitentiaries like San Quentin, Tehachapi, Corcoran, Folsom, Wasco, Tracy, and Pelican Bay.

Parents, it is NOT the honorable, courageous, and public-serving members of the Los Angeles Police Department at whom you should direct your anger. Can you not give the police any kind of credit for securing the elementary school, so horribly close to the gun battle, as a place of refuge and protection for your children? You should be forever angry at the primitive cowards and barbarians who, posing as "loyal soldiers," are the criminal street gang known as the Avenues. These death-wishing LOSERS control and dominate your neighborhoods, your lives and, worst of all, your MIND. And these unfit humans do all of this with YOUR permission.

[CABRERA]

put a green light on them fools that shot and killed the man holding the baby..

[The Truth]

Daniel Leon got shot by the Avenues because....as we all know....he must of done something and was from Cypres Park.

Then members of the Avenues gang got shot and arrested because they shot Daniel Leon....

And cops were involved in a shooting because thats what they are paid to do: stop the bad guy.

So it seems everyone got what they deserved......

End of story.

[Cordova]

As for the last comment, so he was from a gang, but he supported his family and was a great father. Everybody deserves a second chance specially Marcus he changed his life around (how many of us don't have that 1 sibling or family member involved in gangs today you tell me)??. Yeah thats what I thought !! So saving a 2yr old's life deserves recognition, not criticism that goes to show what a caring man he really was a total HERO!!. Now as for that so called Danny Leon you got what you deserved Danny boy 22yrs down the drain you asked for it!!!

[dont trip]

just to throw it in their,the so called innocent man that was shot was from CYPRESS PARK you idiots..if your in a gang your not innocent

[O'Dawg]

Dear Candace,

You need to repost your comment on the Jill Leovy homicide report, where people seem to believe that no one should post any negative comments about your dead loved ones NO MATTER HOW TRUE THEY ARE!!!!

I looked up your precious Jesse on the Homicide blog, and found out that he was killed while in the act of COMMITTING A HOME INVASION ROBBERY!!!

If you were doing your job, as defined by the Good Book, you should have been steering your man away from the grave and into a successful life. While these comments may be very, very harsh, I hope you'll remember the choices that you and Jesse were making that led to his death, as you're raising your kids.

[Mr Right]

All taggers and gang bangers are scumbags -- they contribute nothing to society -- as far as I'm concerned, when they pay the ultimately price, it's cosmic justice.

[Daddy]

What a bunch of scholars. The government is trying to rid and prevent Latino movement in the country, and now they target black people, which was the only allie they had over the years. I bet the government is building domestic tanks for neighborhoods and 40 foot walls for the borders. Change is on its way. Go Obama.

[mystery]

it's so sad for the children that are surronded by this gangwar!
if peolple want to take life and feel proud they should go TO the army!!!!
and let them feel pribe over there were when you take a life and you survive!!!!
youre a HERO!!!!!

[Danny G.]

Some father figure he must have been. He was driving around in the middle of the day looking for people to kill with an AK-47 and other semi automatic weapons. Even if Mr. Leon wasn�t the shooter, he was in the car when he or one of his so-called homeboys cut down a 37 year old man walking hand and hand with a two year old baby. You�re right he must have been a remarkable father.

C�mon, you settled down and had kids with an active gang member. You should have been more responsible and procreated with someone who was going to be there for you and your children. You knew the risk of gang life: Jail or Death. Sorry to hear about your loss momma but gang life has no mercy, as you know well. You should consider getting your kids out of the hood and do what you can to give them a good upbringing (easier said than done). Buena suerte!

[r g]

THE TRUTH! A good father doesn't make up for being a TERRIBLE human being! He just had killed an innocent man and riddled an under cover police car with an automatic assault rifle. People don't have to say awful things about "Danny and Jesse" They showed everyone how awful they were! And I hope he burns eternally in HELL!

[Candace Ruiz]

Danny was a friend to me and my husband (who was also killed on 1/10/08), i feel sorry for his family and children, especially for his wife n children. i know exactly what shes going thru and it is a shame how it has to end so soon, he was very young like my husband. People might say awful things about Danny Leon and Jesse Ruiz because they were from Avenues but the truth is no matter what people say they were great fathers and will be eternally missed. My prays are with Danny Leon, his Family and Friends......he will be missed.