Violence marred the streets of Long Beach last night, resulting in officers taking action in multiple incidents that led to the recovery of several firearms and the arrest of four individuals. In the first of these encounters, a shooting took place on the 100 Block of West 12th Street around 6:14 p.m. Officers arriving at the scene apprehended two men trying to flee. According to the Long Beach Police Department's (LBPD) official website, one of the suspects was found with two guns and is considered a prohibited possessor.
The investigation later uncovered that a male victim had self-transported to the hospital with injuries from the gunfire. This comes amidst concerns over increasing gun violence in the area. The LBPD lauded the officers for their swift action to "safely took two guns off the streets."
A separate incident later that evening at around 8:00 p.m. led to another chase, this time on Aquarium Way. A male suspect was seen with a firearm and upon attempting to detain him, took off running towards the Queensway Bridge. The press release noted that "the suspect discarded two firearms, one of which was discarded into the Bay." After arresting the suspect, LBPD's Dive Team was deployed and managed to retrieve the lost firearm from the bay waters. Once again, the arrested individual was identified as a prohibited possessor.
The early hours of Feb. 21 saw yet another incident during a traffic stop near Long Beach Boulevard and 67th Street at approximately 3:11 a.m. The officers found and confiscated another firearm, leading to yet another arrest. The LBPD's blotter stated that the investigation here is still ongoing, suggesting further details may follow as the situation unfolds.
