Long Beach police announced Friday morning that two people had been arrested for the drive-by shooting and killing of a 12-year-old in Long Beach.
The shooting on May 9 that killed Eric Gregory Brown III and injured a 14-year-old girl has left the community grappling for answers. The two suspects have been identified as 20-year-old Reshawn Strother and 21-year-old Destenee Sheree Scipio.
Strother was already in custody in connection to a different, unrelated attempted murder case and Scipio was arrested Wednesday, according to Long Beach Police Chief Wally Hebeish.
Strother was being held on $5 million bail and Scipio on $4 million bail, according to Long Beach police.
The suspects were arrested in connection to a drive-by shooting that occurred around 11:30 p.m. on May 9. According to police reports, Eric, a 13-year-old and a 14-year-old were walking along the 2200 block of Lewis Avenue between Martin Luther King Jr. and Orange Avenues when a vehicle with at least two males inside approached them and opened fire.
Eric suffered a gunshot wound to his upper body and the 14-year-old girl had a gunshot wound to her lower body. The two were taken to a nearby hospital for their injuries, where Eric passed away.
“We believe this incident stemmed from an earlier gang altercation not involving the victims,” Hebeish said, adding that Strother is a documented gang member and Scipio is believed to be his girlfriend.
The chief did not explain how the children became victims in the incident of gang violence, but he stressed that they had no gang ties. He also emphasized the investigation will continue, as more suspects may be involved.
In late May, the cities of Long Beach and Los Angeles announced a $25,000 reward for anyone willing to volunteer information that leads to an arrest for the shooting. Hebeish said the reward is still active.
The reward was announced shortly after Eric’s family and other members of the community gathered at City Hall to condemn gun violence.
Hebeish credited the arrests to investigative work involving automatic license plate readers, hours of security footage and more.
“This incident was devastating for our entire community,” Hebeish said. “As a father, it pains me to think that anybody would think so little of a life, let alone the lives of children, that they’d commit a crime like this.”
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