Police said Lareanz had no gang ties and was a standout ROTC student who planned to join the U.S. Army after graduation. Family members believe he was an innocent casualty caught in a decades-long Eastside gang war between blacks and Latinos.
Sonia Stuart-Watson, aunt of Lareanz Simmons, holds on to Amber Jackson, Simmons’ cousin, as she speaks about the boy during a march from Bordwell Park to Patterson Park in Riverside Saturday.
Riverside police continued their search Saturday for a gunman who they say targeted an innocent 14-year-old boy, and angry and heartbroken residents called for an end to decades of racial tensions and gang violence in Riverside’s Eastside.
Riverside police detectives continued to work around the clock investigating the shooting death of Lareanz Simmons, chasing leads and re-interviewing possible witnesses, Riverside police Officer Brian Galbreath said Saturday afternoon, almost 48 hours after the slaying. He said police had yet to determine why Lareanz was targeted.
Emotions ran high over the teen’s shooting throughout the longstanding tight-knit, multi-racial community. About 100 people from around the city were joined by city officials and community leaders to march down Kansas Avenue to Patterson Park. Several Riverside police squad cars patrolled up and down the street alongside the marchers to control traffic and keep the marchers safe.
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