COMPTON – Authorities said on Sunday they had identified a suspect in the Saturday, Jan. 20, shooting death of the 3-year-old boy and were communicating with his family and attorney to facilitate his surrender.
The shooting was reported at 7:44 p.m. in the 2800 block of West Alondra Boulevard, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said in a news release. Nate’s Liquor is located at the address and a clerk inside who declined to give his name on Sunday confirmed the shooting occurred in the parking lot.
Authorities added the investigation was ongoing and they had no additional information.
At 5 p.m. Sunday, a coalition of community groups will hold a candlelight vigil in memory of the boy outside of the liquor store.
Community activist Najee Ali, of Project Islamic Hope, said he is organizing the vigil, which is open to the community.
“We’re shocked and angered that a 3-year-old child was murdered and it’s important the community come together,” Ali said. “Not only to demand justice but to show this child’s life had meaning and purpose and he will not be forgotten. It’s not enough for activists to chant ‘Black Lives Matter.’ We have to come out and show it.'”
Ali said the vigil was announced on social media around 9 a.m. and “we’ve gotten a tremendous response from irate citizens that a child was senselessly murdered.”
He said his organization is calling on a reward to be offered in the case from L.A. County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas and the L.A. County Board of Supervisors.
Authorities said two men started to argue in a business parking lot, authorities said, when one of the men involved started to enter a waiting vehicle driven by his girlfriend. A suspect fired gunshots at the man, the sheriff’s department said.
A 3-year-old boy was shot & killed Sat. night outside of this liquor store at Alondra & McKinley in #Compton. Authorities are investigating pic.twitter.com/JHh9AlP2dg
— Wes Woods II (@JournoWes) January 21, 2018
Short video of the parking lot/area of the liquor store where 3-year-old boy was shot and killed on Saturday night in #Compton. pic.twitter.com/y7w4XAEy5o
— Wes Woods II (@JournoWes) January 21, 2018
The victims left the area in their vehicle and discovered the child had a gunshot wound, authorities said. Sheriff’s deputies then responded to the 17200 block of South Central Avenue in Carson.
Upon arrival, authorities said, the deputies found the boy suffering from a gunshot wound. He was transported to a hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
The suspect was described as a man driving a dark-colored sedan last seen heading westbound on Alondra Boulevard. The sheriff’s department had no early updates on Sunday.
Meanwhile, neighbors and customers of Nate’s Liquor were saddened upon learning about the death in what authorities believe was a gang-related crime.
“I hope this violence can stop,” said Kim Hunter who was purchasing items at the store on Sunday morning. “This is awful.”
The violence in Compton is “starting all over,” said Hunter, 61, inside of the store. “It’s a new year we hope this can stop soon and that people can come together and seek help for the younger generation. Because they still don’t understand what guns are doing to themselves.”
Various customers who pulled up in their cars and trucks at the liquor store mostly declined to give their names but differed in opinion on how violent the area was.
“If I was you, I’d have a bulletproof vest on,” explained a man who said his name was Big Soul, 57, of Compton who has lived in the area since 1960. “They need to shut this (liquor) store down.”
Big Soul left with a friend in a truck after purchasing a beer from the liquor store. He described the crime as “It’s (expletive) up … I don’t care what goes on the kids shouldn’t be involved.”
The clerk inside the store said in a brief interview he didn’t hear any kind of an argument because the store was busy but he did hear the shots.
Behind a glass, the clerk described the area as “okay” and said shootings near the liquor store were uncommon but he couldn’t speak for the surrounding neighborhood.
Lydia Price, 64, of Carson lives in the neighborhood nearby and said the area where the shooting happened was the city of Compton but just a street away was Carson and “it’s quiet.”
Price said she heard four or five gunshots the night of the shooting.
“But I didn’t hear any screeching tires from cars or anything like that” after the gunshots, Price said.
Anyone with information about the crime is asked to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Anonymous callers can contact Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or www.lacrimestoppers.org
[contf] [contfnew] 
daily news
[contfnewc] [contfnewc]
