A peace rally will be held Monday night in South Los Angeles following a weekend of violence that saw nearly a dozen people shot, one fatally, and has led to some fears spurred by social media of continued violence.
Organizers of the 6 p.m. rally at 120th Street and Crenshaw Boulevard said they want to “put a face on the innocent victims that are being targeted,” inviting crime victims, community and church leaders to take part.
At the same time, National Action Network Los Angeles will hold a “Stop the Violence” community dialogue at 2828 W. Jefferson Blvd.
The gatherings come on the heels of a weekend that turned so violent that the Los Angeles Police Department went on a tactical alert.
One person was killed in the spate of shootings. A man identified by the coroner’s office as Anthony Alonzo Cudger, 47, was shot around 4 p.m. Saturday near Hoover and 81st streets while sitting in a car stopped at the intersection, police said.
The shooting was one of at least five that occurred within a roughly 24- hour period in the LAPD’s 77th Division, prompting officers to be sent in from other divisions to help with the investigations.
A tactical alert was put in place covering an area spanning Vernon Avenue to Manchester Boulevard and Crenshaw Boulevard to Figueroa and San Pedro streets.
The weekend shootings led to speculation — fueled by social media posts using the hashtag of 100days100nights — about possible continued violence.
LAPD Officer Norma Eisenman said investigators were aware of the social media posts and are “looking into it,” but she declined to comment further. She said the department is deploying additional officers throughout the South Bureau, which includes the 77th Division, the Southeast and Southwest and Harbor divisions.
Statistics released earlier this month showed a 12.7 percent increase in violent and property crime in Los Angeles during the first half of the year. Violent crime was up 20.6 percent, compared to the same time frame last year, according to the figures released by the city.
— City News Service