High school football star shot to death in Compton restaurant

An 18-year-old football player from Harbor City’s Narbonne High School was shot dead Sunday night at a Compton restaurant. His friends were planning a vigil for him at 7 tonight near the restaurant, on Rosecrans Avenue near Central Avenue.

Dannie Farber Jr., an All-City receiver who helped Narbonne earn a co-City Section championship this fall, was eating at a Louisiana Fried Chicken in the 1900 block of Rosecrans Avenue when he was killed. He was set to graduate June 19.

"He was sitting there eating dinner with some girl," said Coach Manuel Douglas. "They walked in and shot him four times." Farber died of multiple wounds to his torso.

Sgt. David Infante of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said today that homicide detectives were investigating the shooting, which occurred at 9:39 p.m.

Douglas said Farber had made "a lot of big plays." He caught a 4-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter in a city semifinal playoff game that rallied the Gauchos to a 25-24 victory over Crenshaw High School and enabled the team to reach the championship game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

"He was a real good kid," said assistant coach Byron Moore Sr., who had known Farber since coaching him in youth football. "He wasn’t involved in any gang. It’s a tragic loss. He was always full of energy."

-- Eric Sondheimer and Martha Groves

Photo: Breealle Hollyfield, Laporsche Croom, and Laquioa Joseph mourn outside the restaurant where Dannie Farber was killed.

Credit: Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Nancy]

I just wanted to say how sorry I am to hear of your loss. Even though I live in Indiana and did not know your son, I know how hard it is on the family, friends, students and the team mates when you lose someone that you love so much. Please know that my thoughts and prayers are with you all.

If you would like to put up a memorial for Dannie on my website at www.angel-hearts.org please feel free to.

God bless you all in this horrible loss.

[Dwanique Spiller]

I am sad to hear about Danny, my son played on the same team as Danny for the Compton Titans, in their Pop Warner years. Danny was a very good kid. This is very tragic, and our prayers and thoughts are with Danny's family.

[Jim Bob]

1. Have the police quickly apprehend the murderers.
2. Have the courts promptly try and convict the murderers.
3. Have the murderers immediately receive a death sentence.
4. Have the murderers expeditiously executed
5. Other murderers will be deterred if they know they face punishment for their crimes.

[Margaret Vona]

This is a time for protest. I just don't know where or when to go for a one. Someone please tell me. I am a 43 year old Asian woman, but I think my outrage would be felt across all racial-socio-economic and political spectrum.

A waste of a life! Gun control? (ooops, I forgot, my conservative Republican friends would adamantly disagree with me.)

[trae]

Here we ago again, another families tragic loss of their golden child. This city has become too complacent, catering to the criminals, holding the police back from doing their job over being politically correct. I hope this family takes their fight to the streets and soon! Jamiel Shaws family valiantly tried to make changes in this city~parents will soon become the vigilantes I fear!

[me]

they who? wtf is going on in cali that ppl are not describing who killed this poor boy. ppl were right there.

[Restoring humanity]

When will the children of the sun accept responsibility for their actions?

I have had several crimes perpetrated on me several relatives murdered. I questioned God on Why? There is no why? Today a daughter killed a father over leftover food. A son is killed having a food date? It is time to stop the madness, a time to march a time to speak, a time to root out evil. When Cain destroys Abel for no justified reason, we the children of the sun have lost our way and must learn God's command, thou shall not kill. We cannot give life so we cannot take life.

Thou shall not covet what another person has, but must earn his own through hard work.
When will the Black church say enough that heaven does not exist within the four walls of a church?

When will the Catholic church say enough, that life exists outside of the womb and must be cherished as much as that life in the womb?

When will Christian Soldiers shield their children from the madness of evil, by exposing the evil and protecting those who prey on the innocent. WE SEE EVERYDAY yet chose to ignore the truth of our reality. The truth shall set you free if you let it and take action against those who seek to destroy the children of the sun.

[denise]

Another case of black on black violence, will it ever stop?
I heard one of Dannie's friend's say it best on the nighlty news, 'There is just too much hating going on." There are numerous 'Dannie's' in the community, (both black and brown) attempting to maneuver their way on a daily on the treacherous streets of Los Angeles. It is the senseless killings, coupled with every day teens trying to survive while hopeless and working parents do the best they can. Inner city killings are much too common and largely ignored, just look at the daily killings occurring in Chicago. RIP Dannie and my prayers are with your family.

[TheForgotten]

I fear our society is too far down the slipperly slope of destruction. Hope is all we have now. We have pushed God out of our lives, and yet we expect him to answer our prayers during times of need. Service to God and our fellow man is the only hope we have of saving our children, our cities, our nation.

[hank]

There is something a lot deeper than merely a "Good Kid" getting shot at a meal. The gang connection comes in when you consider that some gangster probably lost a great deal of money on a game this kid played in. Or being a good kid, he may have refused to fix the game and dog his team when it mattered.
High school football is the target of many unscrupulous people, A lot of money changes hands, and with that kind of power, the kids are just targets. Lots of people are corrupt in this game: Coaches, parents district people, scouts, bookies, and gang members.
It is no longer (and hasn't been for a long time) an innocent means of keeping kids from bad influences.

[tony]

There is no shortage of degenerates with no conscience and thanks to the NRA there is certainly no shortage of guns. Recently the NRA got more of what they wanted the passing of a credit card bill for god's sake. Maybe some of the execs at the NRA should have there families murdered by a gun crazy scum bag.

[wow]

This dont go on in the white communitys cause they dont let the criminals run their neihborhoods. As long as we keep having all these babys without a dad around its going to continue to happen. Black women have got to be more resonsibe. rip Dannie..

[bone]

look at his myspace page no gansta huh?

[Ben]

It is funny how when there's report of Police violence there's no shortage of witnesses,EVERYBODY seems to have seen EVERYTHING. However, when a crime of this nature occurs in public it appears no one has seen a thing. Until people who can make a difference SPEAK UP and help incarcerate these thugs nothing will change. Marching and protesting will do nothing, as they have no effect on criminals.

The fact that the killer has not been arrested is a joke.

[no sanctuary]

Deepest condolences to family and friends. No one can imagine the pain of raising a good kid in the midst of gang infested neighborhoods only to have his life taken by worthless scum.

Why is there no description of the suspect(s)? Does political correctness trump all again, so race of the killers cannot be mentioned?

[jayteereal]

Wow! This just tears me up inside to hear another kid killed for no apparent reason, but that he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Where can we go to have peace, and enjoy family and friends peacefully?, I lost a cousin the same damn way, because of a coward gang banger, as well as almost my own life, and why do we allow these cowards to get away with this mess? We need to start standing up for justice and start turning these cowards in, because they'll never give a damn for the innocent ones trying to make something out of their lives and make a difference. Since their so tuff let's ship them out to Iraq and see just how tuff they really are. You damn Cowards!. My Condolence to the family

[Jim Thomas]

The shooter? Just another half-witted idiot, someone with the IQ of a fence post. No wait a minute, that would be a slur. The fence post is definitely smarter than this dumb ass. I'm surprised he could put together a complete sentence.

The answer is not courts and punishment the answer is to take back your own streets, Charles Bronson style. If they are up to no good, then we don't need them on this earth.

[jayteereal]

This is to the coward who did this, and I know that your just getting your kicks reading about what you did, your nothing but a coward, and the gang you call yourself putting in work for probably would forget about you in a heart beat if you got killed, and I know it will come soon, because you live by the sword, and you will one day die by the sword, and I hope it's worst than what you inflicted on this guy. I pray to my Lord Jesus Christ that he will have vengeance on you for this and I'm sure the others you've done, because I'm sure this is not the first time. Your losser who had nothing going for yourself, so you went after someone with a gun, because were scared to be a real man. One day your family will cry like his family is and God will judge you for what you've did.

[A friend of his]

I knew dannie and he was cool!! hurts my heart to know that he's gone. Hopefully friday they find out who did it, after seeing the tapes, i dont think i want to go that louisiana again. Some say that was his girlfriend and that it has somethng to do with her. Said that he fought a boy over her and might have been the cause of the shooting. He was also gang affiliated so only soon will we know what really happen and who did it. Right now, in compton its soo much going on and it isn't safe. Right around the corner from where we live and that happened a friend of mines got shot in the neck not even 2 days later. She just had a lil girl!! So sad how we have to lose all these good people over a small beef. I never let anything make me that mad. I love my friends and I dont want anymore of you gone!!!!

[dumbfounded]

I live in the United States but come from a country with 20+ million people, with very strict, almost prohibitive gun laws. Our entire country has less murders in a year than does Los Angeles. I don't understand what is wrong with Americans. The fear of terrorism is rampant in this country, but the truth is, it's Americans with guns who you need to fear!

[diddy]

sorry to say but this kid was gang affiliated.Look at his myspace.another Jamiel Shaw.

http://www.myspace.com/172300733