A murder charge was filed today against a Washington state resident accused of opening fire on a man as they walked side-by-side in Long Beach.
Gilbert Aaron Crawley, 48, of Spokane, is set to be arraigned on July 15 on the murder charge, which includes allegations that he personally used a handgun in the commission of the crime and that he has a prior conviction for assault with a deadly weapon.
He is accused of killing Archie Harris, 49, of Bellflower. Police said Crawley and Harris “were known to one another and were walking side-by-side” in the 5800 block of Orange Avenue about 10 p.m. Sunday when Crawley allegedly shot him in the upper body.
Harris died on the sidewalk. Crawley was arrested Monday afternoon during a traffic stop in the 6700 block of Atlantic Avenue.
The motive for the shooting remains under investigation, according to Long Beach police, who are also investigating a separate shooting that left one woman dead and two others injured near a candlelight vigil Monday night for Harris.
A preliminary investigation determined that a group of people linked to the vigil were involved in a dispute with a local resident that escalated when the resident’s window was broken and gunfire rang out, with multiple suspects firing in different directions. That shooting is being investigated as gang-related, police said earlier this week.
