The Long Beach Police Department announced Saturday it has arrested a 15-year-old boy suspected of fatally shooting another boy the same age.
The shooting occurred around 12:30 p.m. Thursday near Cedar Avenue and Plymouth Street, according to the LBPD.
Arriving officers found the victim with a gunshot wound, police said. He was taken by paramedics to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The suspect fled the scene before officers arrived. Detectives quickly identified the alleged shooter as a 15-year-old Long Beach resident. He was arrested in the city of Lakewood the next day, police said.
“I am deeply troubled by the killing of a 15-year-old and it is extremely alarming that the suspect believed responsible is also 15 years old,” said LBPD Chief Wally Hebeish. “The Long Beach Police Department will never allow youth violence to be normalized in our community. Over the past few days, our patrol officers, SWAT personnel and homicide detectives have worked nonstop and through their exceptional efforts, we were able to secure critical evidence, identify the suspect and take him into custody.”
The boy was booked at the Long Beach Jail for suspicion of murder and a minor in possession of a firearm. He was then taken to Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall, where he was being held without bail.
Neither the victim nor the suspect have been publicly identified.
The case will be presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office, where it will be considered for filing, police said.