UPDATE: Captain Peters, Bill Rosendahl, Venice 2000 HELPER ( Gang prevention group ) and the family of one of the slain teenagers spoke during a community meeting at Penmar Park this evening. In the wake of the news that a 19 year old gang member was arrested and held on $2 million dollars bail, the heartfelt message by these community leaders and members was one of heartfelt unity.
With so many forces tearing neighborhoods and communities apart within communities themselves, the news of the arrest was great of course, but the bolder message was the importance of taking a stand against this kind of violence. The message echoed was that the culture of shrouding gang violence must be broken, and it was that spirit that helped lead to the arrests… and certainly bolsters the message that this kind of senselessness is not worth the loss of life and impact to the families and the community.
Below is a memorial on the bleachers where the two teens were murdered. With community support, involvement and a stand against crime hopefully Venice won’t suffer this kind of tragedy again.
Councilman Rosendahl and the family of one of the slain teenagers
The LA Times Breaks The Story Of Gang Member Arrest:
A reputed gang member has been arrested in connection with a shooting that left two students dead and a boy wounded last week at a Venice park.
Michael Anthony Mariscal, 19, who lives in Culver City, was apprehended Tuesday by detectives, the Los Angeles Police Department said.
The shooting at Penmar Park, which sits in a quiet tree-lined neighborhood, sent bystanders running for cover and forced officials to lock down a gym filled with small children, according to police and a witness.
The three victims were local high school students. One of those slain attended Venice High School, and the other youth who was killed was a student at the Venice Skills Center.
The third victim, who was shot in the leg, attended Venice High.
Mariscal is described as a student in booking records and was being held in lieu of $2 million bail Wednesday.
“He is the shooter,” said LAPD Capt. Jon Peters, commander of the Pacific Division, which patrols the area. “He intended to shoot these individuals…. He is a documented gang member.”
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