Three shootings occurred in Long Beach on July 4, bringing the total number of shootings reported in Long Beach this year to 96. The number is certain to keep climbing, as there have only been two weeks out of the calendar year without any shootings.
The Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) reports shootings and stabbings that have occurred in the city on a daily basis through its online police blotter. The Signal Tribune combed through each blotter for this year to count the total number of shootings reported.
The vast majority of shootings are categorized into two main categories on the LBPD blotter—“hit shootings” and “no-hit shootings”— which identifies whether anyone was struck by gunfire in the shooting.
There have been 46 hit shootings reported in Long Beach in 2023, some of which have resulted in multiple victims.
On Tuesday an unknown male suspect in a vehicle fired at a man walking down an alley in the 6500 block of Indiana Ave., as well as a nearby vehicle occupied by two adults and a minor. The victims in the vehicle were uninjured, but the pedestrian was struck by gunfire in his lower body. Police responded to the scene at around 7:54 p.m. No description of the suspect or his vehicle is available yet.
Two other no-hit shootings also occurred on July 4. LBPD responded to the first no-hit shooting at around 6:29 p.m. in the 5400 block of Cherry Ave., where officers were told that an unknown male suspect began firing a gun following a verbal dispute in a supermarket parking lot. No injuries were reported, and no description of the suspect has been released yet.
LBPD responded to the last shooting of the night at around 11:47 p.m. in the 1900 block of Chestnut Ave., where officers identified that an unknown suspect shot into an occupied home. There is no information about the suspect or the motive.
Two days earlier, an unknown suspect shot into the window of another occupied home in the 1500 block of West Burnett St. and struck a 14-year-old boy in the lower body.
The Gun Violence Archive keeps count of all deaths by firearms in the nation. So far in 2023, 21,949 people have died from gunshot wounds. Over 12,000 of these deaths were suicides, while over 9,000 deaths were categorized as murder, homicide, unintentional and defensive gun use.
In Long Beach this calendar year, only one shooting was classified as a possible suicide. Around three shootings were classified as negligent discharges and two were officer-involved shootings.
In January, following the deadliest shooting in LA County history, which claimed the lives of 11 people in Monterey Park, the LA County Board of Directors declared gun violence a public health crisis.
Why should our City Council waste their time on profitless public safety issues when spending that same time kissing the behind of the local Weed Industry is so very profitable?