Detectives with the Long Beach Police Department continue to search for information that may help them identify the shooter that fired into a group outside Wilson High School following a football game on Friday night, injuring two males and killing 16-year old Wilson student Melody Ross.
The 18-year old and 20-year old males who were injured will recover, but the murder of Ross has shaken the city and drawn the ire of many who have had enough of the violence. A makeshift memorial near the Ximeno Avenue location where the shooting occurred overflowed with flowers, candles and messages of love from friends and classmates of Ross this weekend. It was a symbol of the joy that friends say Ross had for life, but also a symbol of a community’s compassion for one of their own.
The more we learn about Ross, the more we take her murder personally. This can be seen at her memorial, where many messages and letters were from people who did not know the victim, but still felt compelled to express their condolences. It can be seen at Wilson High, where rumor is that students will collectively don black attire today in her memory.
We feel for Melody because any one of us could have been Melody that night. An innocent bystander, unknowingly in harm’s way where there should never be fear of harm, she did nothing wrong and yet paid dearly anyway. This is where the confusion comes from, and also the frustration and also the anger. The finger pointing has been consistent through the weekend, but we all know that the fault lies with the shooter who bafflingly decided to fire a weapon into a group of students on Friday night. That person’s shoulders alone must carry the responsibility for the loss of a vibrant 16-year old life.
Police now are searching for that person, said LBPD spokesperson Dina Zapalski, who added that there is very little information for detectives to work with. She asks that anyone with information about the shooter call (562) 570-7244. Investigators have released no suspect descriptions, and there is no word if one or several people were involved.
How can it be so difficult to find information when such a large group was gathered at the scene when shots were fired? Zapalski says that crowds typically scatter in shootings such as this, and they happen so fast that it can be difficult to see or remember anything. “Everyone was running to get away,” she said on Sunday.
Today, everyone is running to find answers. Why were the shots fired? How could a person be so reckless? What is going on in Long Beach?
The rallying cry has been strong, as people have been brought together by their sorrow and their anger. Whatever their emotions, the goals are the same. And in Ross’ incredibly untimely passing, it has been encouraging – beautiful, even – to see Long Beach residents unite, with the beaming smile in her photograph shining down on the bouquets and the handwritten notes on Ximeno Avenue. It’s easy to imagine that she would be pleased with the outpouring of love, the will to make this community a better place in the wake of tragedy.
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Related Coverage:
Wilson Student Killed Outside School In Shooting
Friday Night Shootings: One At Wilson High, One Officer-Involved
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