South L.A. community calls for action after teen’s deadly shooting

The leader of a community organization is calling for an emergency task force to address youth violence after a teen was shot and killed in South Los Angeles on Monday afternoon.

“I'm concerned with getting to young people because that is the major source of the problem,” Earl Ofari Hutchinson, founder of the L.A. Urban Policy Roundtable, told KNX News’ Emily Valdez.

The shooting was preceded by a series of fights at George Washington Preparatory High School, according to a release from the L.A. County Sheriff’s Dept. The fighting spilled over to a bus stop on the corner of 108th St. and Western Ave., where someone pulled out a gun and fatally shot a teenage boy.

Sheriff’s deputies say a person of interest is in custody.

In the wake of the shooting, Hutchinson called on the city to put together a joint task force with police and community organizations to engage young people and prevent further violence.

“See, it's not just a law enforcement issue,” he said. “I've always said, we made the call. Get the killers off the street. But you got to get the killers in the classroom, in jobs, in education, training.”

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In a statement, L.A. Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho called Monday’s shooting a “ terrible injustice ” and demanded “tougher common-sense gun laws.”

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