Police plan to reveal details Friday about an investigation that led to the arrest of a 19-year-old man accused in an apparent gang-related shooting in South Los Angeles that left two 15-year-old boys dead and two other people wounded.
The shooting occurred about 1:30 a.m. on May 13 near Manchester Avenue and the Harbor (110) Freeway. At least two suspects in a vehicle pulled up to a group, with one of them saying, “Where you from,” a common gang challenge, before several shots were fired, Los Angeles police Officer Mike Lopez said.
La’marrion Upchurch of Long Beach died at the scene, and Monyae Jackson of Los Angeles died about 2 a.m. on May 15 at a hospital.
Two other people were treated at hospitals for non-life-threatening injuries and were later released, police said.
Cristian Macias of Los Angeles was arrested on June 15 and is now facing murder charges, according to LAPD Detective Nathan Kouri. He’s being held without bail at the North County Correctional Facility in Castaic, according to sheriff’s inmate records.
Police commanders plan to discuss the case at a news conference Friday morning at the LAPD’s 77th Street Station, where family members of the victims are expected to be on hand.
Upchurch was enrolled as a freshman at Cabrillo High School in Long Beach at the time of his death and was an up-and-coming hip-hop dancer known as Lil BZ, according to the Long Beach Press-Telegram.