A murder charge was filed Wednesday 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 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 of 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.
Sign up here for our free newsletters. We’ll send you the latest headlines every morning and every weekday afternoon.
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.