No motive, no suspects in slaying of Wilson High honors student

Long Beach police said they have no suspects and no motive in the shooting death of a Wilson High School student who police said was an innocent victim of gunfire in front of the school Friday night.

The daughter of Cambodian immigrants, Melody Ross died at St. Mary's Hospital at 10:30 p.m., half an hour after she was shot, said her uncle. Ross and her friends were leaving the Wilson High homecoming game against Polytechnic High School when she was hit.

Two men, ages 18 and 20, were wounded in the gunfire and hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, police said. They are not believed to be students at either school, and their identities were not released.

Grief counselors are on the Wilson High campus to help students deal with the death of the popular honors student and athlete.

Police on Sunday asked for the public's help in finding the shooter or shooters, saying they don't have a description or many leads to go on.

A homecoming dance attended by about 200 students was underway on campus when the shots were fired.

-- Shelby Grad

Photo: A makeshift tribute to shooting victim Melody Ross. Credit: Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times

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Comments

[Mary]

What has happened to my hometown? Poor Melody and her family. May she rest in peace.

[dlee]

So much for all those griping that the media wasn't sharing details/photos/descriptions about the suspects. The police don't have any information on them at all yet. That's why investigators were asking for photos and video that may have been taken around the crime scene at the time of the shooting.

[Drew Weaver]

Young undesirable males without jobs or studies are still young and male and would be attracted to a large gathering of young people...oftimes driving by with threatening music pumping from their tacky mid-'90's Celicac with the tinted glass and the Bad Boy decal. The music makes them feel virile because they are stupid. There is an urge to noticed....to be included no matter how dubious their credentials. They are frustrated that they are shunned by more accomplished peers. "Hey girl" they shout at a large group. In the next second they are glaring at the males in the group, who have done nothing to provoke them. "What are you looking at fool?" is shouted from the car. Next moment, gunfire spits from the car, which zooms off. They go back to their wretched hovel/crib and hoist Frosty Forties -- they celebrate and play GTA. The average life expectancy of these stupid young men is about 45 years -- they live in a world where MACHISMO is very important. They can't stand being dissed; they are the dregs of modern SoCal society.

[Blake Robinson]

i may have never met you
i have never seen your face
or the smile once painted on your face
it wasnt until your life was spilled
onto the cold concrete
that i knew your name
but i loved you
because we breathe the same air
and took our water
from the same vein of colarado

the lead and copper embedded in your chest
was forged from anger and hate
it unleashed more pain and longing
and love and sorrow
than can be comprehended by the earth herself
its time to put down our arms
its time for peace and love
not hate, fighting and ignorance

there should be no more violence tonight
no more black powders and iron
and tubes containing cuts and groves
sending metal into the hearts of innocent children
your blood shall forever be embedded
into our souls
as it trickles down your hair...

[Josh]

This is just awful. I used to live on Ximeno Ave. right down the street from Wilson High School and walked past that intersection frequently. So senseless. My heartfelt condolences go out to the Ross family and the entire Long Beach community.

I hope the police apprehend those responsible for this tragic act of violence.

[shanalyn leonen]

I MISS YOU MELODY ROSS.RIP MELODY ROSS.