Thoughts and prayers
By now, I am sure you have heard that our Long Beach Police Department has arrested two suspects in the tragic murder of Wilson High School student Melody Ross. The men and women of our police department deserve our thanks for their stellar work and commitment to justice in this case.
We also need to thank Long Beach Unified Superintendent Chris Steinhauser and the administration, teachers and students of Wilson High School. They have been an inspiration throughout this whole tragedy.
I have been both saddened and angered by this whole incident. My thoughts and prayers have been with the family and friends of Melody Ross. Like most of you, I didn’t know Melody but have learned about her from the beautiful stories and letters I have been reading in the media.
Last week at the press conference announcing the arrests, I met Melody’s mother, father and family. They are a strong family, and I am proud of our city for coming together to support them. The Long Beach Education Foundation has set up a memorial trust fund to assist the family. You can contribute by visiting www.lbusd.k12.ca.us and clicking on “Fund created for Melody Ross family.”
Unfortunately, Melody is not alone. Our city loses too many of our youth to acts of gang violence, even as crime continues to decline city-wide. I still remember the tragic murder of Ezra Davis, a 15-year-old boy and local skateboarder, who was shot at the 800 block of Washington Place back in January. Each of these deaths is equally tragic.
We must never be intimidated by these criminals— instead we should re-double our efforts in fighting crime and supporting gang and youth prevention programs. Our youth are counting on us.
Robert Garcia
1st District Councilmember
Long Beach
