A Compton family is mourning the death of a 9-year-old boy who was shot and killed Saturday evening.
At Sunday’s vigil, family members said Princeton-Jones was playing outside his grandfather’s home at the intersection of Haskins Avenue and Alondra Boulevard when he was shot about 7:40 p.m.
Details are limited and authorities have not released or confirmed any information about the case, but the boy’s family said they are searching for answers as the investigation continues.
The City of Compton released the following statement Sunday night:
“The City of Compton mourns the death of a 9-year-old boy who was murdered in West Rancho Dominguez on Saturday evening. Our hearts go out to the family as they deal with this tremendous loss. Please contact us for more information. If you have one, we encourage you to contact us by calling the LA County Sheriff’s Department at (310) 605-6500. ”
“We have no information,” Najee Ali, director of the Islamic Hope Project, said at the vigil Sunday night. “But what we do know is that he was an innocent 9-year-old child who should not have been shot and killed in cold blood.”
Police did not immediately say whether they had any leads about the suspect or his vehicle or whether the incident was believed to be gang-related.
“There was a time when women and children were not exposed to murder and gang violence,” Ali told KTLA’s Carlos Saucedo. “Unfortunately, those days are long gone.”
Community members and Princeton’s family rallied during a vigil Sunday night, calling for an end to gun violence and saying children should never be targeted.
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“Princeton, born in 2015, was a truly special young man with a bright mind and a warm heart,” the boy’s family said in the description on the GoFundMe page. “Diagnosed with mild autism at the age of two, Princeton worked tirelessly with the loving support of his mother and was fluent by the age of five.”
The family said they have set up a GoFundMe page to help with funeral expenses and to “honor and remember Princeton in a way that reflects the love and joy he brought to this world.”
If you would like to donate or share the page, click here to visit the family’s GoFundMe.
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