LBPOST.com: Alleged Shooter Attended Wilson High Until 2008

Monday, March 15, 2010 | Home

Alleged Shooter Attended Wilson High Until 2008

by Ryan ZumMallen | Long Beach News | 11.05.09 |

| Text Size:

After the Press-Telegram reported last night that 16-year old Tom Vinson was the alleged gunman in last Friday night�s shooting that killed a Wilson High student and injured two adult males, the LBPOST.com has learned that Vinson previously attended Wilson High School.

The photo at right was sent to the LBPOST.com from the parent of a student at Wilson High School. It is from the 2008 Wilson High School yearbook.

The other suspect in custody is 16-year old Daivion Davis, reports Tracy Manzer of the Press-Telegram. The LBPOST.com has learned that Davis was a current eleventh-grader at Lakewood High School.

Vinson left Wilson High as a tenth grader in December of 2008, although district records do not show why.

"We don't show any disciplinary reason for him leaving," said LBUSD spokesperson Chris Eftychiou this morning.

Records show that Vinson entered the LBUSD as an 8th grader at Marshall Middle School and attended Wilson until leaving in 2008 (Correction: Vinson began with the LBUSD in Kindergarten at Burbank Elementary, then attending Marshall Middle School, and finally Wilson High).

Vinson and another 16-year old male were arrested yesterday afternoon in connection with the shooting. The LBPD has refused to release names of the suspects because they are minors, but the Press-Telegram's Tracy Manzer reported Vinson's name last night.

Vinson reportedly lives in Bellflower and the other 16-year old suspect lives in Long Beach.

Police said the two suspects are known gang members, and that the shooting occurred when two rival street gangs began fighting outside Wilson High following a football game on campus. Between 400 and 500 people were crowded near the stadium exit when the shooting occurred. Police believe the two adult males who were injured were the intended targets.

Wilson High student Melody Ross died on the scene from a gunshot to the torso. Authorities have repeatedly stated that Ross was an innocent bystander.

Detectives will present the case against the two suspects to the District Attorney today, according to police. Lieutenant Lloyd Cox stated that the shooter will certainly face one count of murder and two counts of attempted murder.

We will provides updated information as it becomes available.

UPDATES (2:00pm): The Press-Telegram's Kevin Butler has reported that Vinson attended Mayfair High School at least until May of this year.

UPDATE (4:00pm): The Press-Telegram's Tracy Manzer has reported that the other suspect arrested is 16-year old Daivion Davis of Long Beach. The LBPOST.com has learned that Davis was a current eleventh-grade student at Lakewood High School.

Related Stories:

11.02.09 Reward For Info About Shooting Increases To $20,000
11.02.09 $10K Reward Offered For Information In Fatal Shooting
11.02.09 Search For Wilson High Shooter Continues
10.31.09 Wilson Student Killed Outside School In Shooting
10.30.09 Friday Night Shootings: One At Wilson High, One Officer-Involved

Follow the LBPOST.com on our Facebook, YouTube and Twitter pages.

Comments

Click Here to Leave a Comment

lbresident
Can we finally stop with the "let's fund after school program" talk and start cracking down on these street terrorists?

Lakewood Volleyball
Its very sad, that so many young people, younger than me, are involved in this... Why do we use guns to solve our fights? Why cant you be man enough to use fists...

Anonymous
Not that it matters but he's in the yearbook as a 9th grader not 10th grader.

Nikol
breaks my heart, both families are grieving

JR Salazar
Well how about that. This is sure to be talked about at the SHORTSTOP Program in the courthouse next Tuesday.

Shelley_Rae
This is heartbreaking. Seeing a face just ads to the realism of it all. Rest in peace Melody now that this thug is caught. Blessing and prayers to your family and friends.

Tina
What is a 16 year old doing with a loaded gun, let alone right outside of a public high school? Tragic.

LB Parent
Not only has this senseless act destroyed the lives of Melody's family and so many friends, but certainly to his family too. What can we do to protect our children and get guns off the streets??

Anonymous
I'm all for making this youngster accountable for his crime - but the question has to be asked - how can a child (in 9th or 10th grade) just drop out of school and no one pursue it and find out why? We've got to find a way to keep these kids in school - an education is the ONLY way we can stop this cycle of violence with our teens. Until we figure out a way to stop a 16 year old from thinking that their future is with a gun (and a gang) and that a human life isn't worth anything our community is going to be mourning the loss of a lot more Melodys . . .

LB Mom
The 16yr. old shooter looks like a kid too. Poor Melody is just one of many kids killed by guns of gang members. Please Long Beach, DO MORE GANG SWEEPS. We have a great police force and it's time to stop the gangs. It seems like we now live in a Third World country when kids aren't even safe to go to a H.S. football game.

Diane
"What can we do to protect our children and get guns off the streets??" Start holding the parents of these gang members accountable for their responsibilities. It's not the gun, it's the idiot holding the gun. What can we do? We start by running the parent/s and their gang member children out of town.

AnonymousLB
After school programs do work. If he were in school, involved in school and in an after school program he would not be in the gang. After school programs are proven to work. We just need to start intervention in elementary school.

lbresident
AnonymousLB, all the programs in the world will not overcome lack of parenting, lack of accountability, and kids having kids. It's time to start ridding the streets of these thugs and stop making excuses for them.

Youth Worker
Where are his parents? Or at least a parent? Out of school for a year, parents should also be accountable.

Ashley
wow, i fell so bad for Melody. im acutally a wilson student and its horrible to loose someone from your school. i rember i 8th grade when a student Jonathan Poole died as well. its heart breaking

Lbpolyrb
Tom Vinson went to Mayfair high school after signing out of Wilson High... Who brings a gun to a football game??? Oh yaa gang members.

JeffJ
Long Beach has become a scary place. Carrying a loaded gun to a high school football game? Makes you think about how many other kids are carrying guns. I bet this kid was not the only one....I think the number would scare everyone

Dave in Alamitos Beach
I'm as liberal as they come, but I'm with lbresident on this one. Does anyone really think this guy would have been involved in, say high school band, rather than a gang if only he'd been given the chance? There are all the opportunities in the world to take up fingerpainting or work at Burger King if you want to. People who are attracted to gangs and murder are not the type attracted to doing something meaningful or even just time-wasting (like videogames) with his life. Most 16 year olds are doing homework, or making out, or even smoking pot, NOT murdering each other.

Jeanetta McAlpin
I am so sad for a perent to lose their child in such a senseless way. I am also sad to see a minors picture displayed even before the trial begins. There are two families in crisis. We all need to pray and take our place on the solution team. Like Doris says, each one teach one....If you haven't started, start today.

LBResident
We need effective violence prevention programs in the schools. Stop spending money on metal detectors and security officers - by then its too late. Start with the kids when they are little. Violence prevention programs work.

depressed
give em one more chance, thats all.

Kenny
Wow Tom vinson and daivion daivis both went to the same middle school with me. I never knew they would end up like this..

Wilson Parent
Strong likelyhood this punk has a rap sheet already. If so, enough chances!! Try him as an adult and put him away and make our streets safer. Great job LBPD!!!

Educational
My son is on 6th grade. I'm currently attending a 9-week class at Hill School. This program is called PIQE (Parent Institute for Quality Education). The program is an eye opener for dads and moms who realy care for their kids. Please moms and dads. Contact your kids schools and ask about this program and take the clases. You would never regreat to do so and your kids will be so highly motivated to stay at school and stay away of participating on violent situations like the tragic one that happened with Melody. My sincere condolences to Melody's family.

Another Wilson Parent
To have LB Police there would have helped and probably prevented this incident. Today at Jordan HS for the H1N1 vaccine clinic I counted over 12 LBPD on the streets surrounding Jordan High. But neither the school or LBPD or the City could find a way to have even one policeman at a crowded football game? Why? I don't buy "state budget" or the "school is broke" as an excuse. If you can afford to have events then you can afford to have police to secure them. It takes a trained law officer to deal with these thugs, not a bunch of campus "cops". My heart goes out to the victim and her family...So City of Long Beach and LBUSD--during tough economic times tell us all how you are going to prevent more tragic events like this in the future?

Poly Parent
To all the Wilson parents and students who quickly assumed that only a Poly student could have committed such a horific crime, wake up and realize that pre-judging others will only lead to misunderstanding. Poly students were hurt and offended by the numerous unfounded allegations posted on Facebook by Wilson students. It is time to band together and focus on the real problems rather than hurling childish insults at your neighbors.

MillikanHighSTUDENT
I hOpe he Gets Life..IM HAPPY THEY COUGHT Him and The OTHer kid..SMH....R.I.P.Melody

lbmrteacher
lbresident: please leave your tea party politics at the door at this difficult time. After school programs work, doubtful that young Vinson was involved in said programs. It is relieving that they have been caught. But those poor parents, friends, teachers, parents of the shooter. In all our thoughts. Hi JoRyan Salazar, long time no see.

KaRi
We need to start sending thugs to the front lines to fight the war and bring the soldiers back to the US to keep our streets safe.

lbresident
lbmrteacher, given the track record of teachers and their union regarding policies affecting efficiency and productivity in schools I don't think you're in any position to lecture me or anyone else on what to do here.

Lakewood Volleyball
I knew Davis...

mom of 3
"LB Parent What can we do to protect our children and get guns off the streets??" "getting guns off the streets" as translated into legislation banning them would mean that only law abiding citizens would be left weaponless or without self protection. Gun laws do not stop criminals or gang members. They laugh at gun laws and think they're great because they feel safer... I agree we need to protect our kids, but they have to be born into families with loving parents that can care for them in order to give them a fighting chance for a "normal" life.

Muffin
I blame these gang members parents for not keeping closer tabs on their kids. If this thug dropped out of school and no one noticed, I'm sure his parents were quite aware of it. It doesn't take a village, but a village idiot to not be more aware of your kids, their friends, their grades, etc. It's time to really crack down on gang members in LB...this didn't happen at 10th and PCH...it happened on the edge of Belmont Heights...

Concerned Parent
I would like to know who are the parents of these kids. Bring back swating kids in school and parent to be allowed to spank their kids!

shocked
Everybody deserves another chance that's all. He prolly didnt even mean to shoot the poor girl but she happened to be in the way through the animosity between him and whoever he was arguing with or however the story goes. But my prayers go out to both families.

Jeff
Remember Oscar Gallegos, the "known" gang member and illegal alien who shot long beach officers l, these two thugs are also "known" gang members, along with, if I've read the reports correctly, the two guys that were shot alongside Melody.

Swimmaven
What are the implications of expelling gang members from all Long Beach schools? Since the LBUSD has precious little money to deal with taking the place of parents, maybe it is time to put it on the LBPD dime instead.

Unknown
I went to Burbank and Wilson with Tom Vinson. I remember when we both attended Burbank, whenever we would go on field trips his mom would go and she was very nice, I remember her and my mom would always talk. I think it's very rude for people blame the parent. I know my mother is a very caring mom but I still go against her, she doesn't know how to stop me and she tries a lot. Maybe he was in the same situation. So you all need to shut the **** up!

Anonymous
............

anonomous
OMG... I KNOW TOM... ICANT BELIEVE HE DID THIS... I REMEMBER HE WAS JUST A LITTLE BOY ITS JUST CRAZY WHAT PEOPLE WOULD DO FOT A GANG... ITS NOT WORTH RISKING YOUR LIFE AND PUTTING OTHERS IN DANGER... THIS IS A SAD MOMENT... IHOPE HE LEARNS FROM THIS TRAGGIC EXPERIENCE AND KNOW THAT IM HERE FOR HIM AS FOR THE FAMILY I GIVE MY CONDOLENCE...

Long Beach News

LBPOST.com Managing Editor Ryan ZumMallen keeps up on all the current and breaking Long Beach news.

Ryan ZumMallen is a graduate of the CSULB School of Journalism, writing for the campus' Union Weekly newspaper and serving as Sports Editor for one year. He has written for numerous news and sports websites and magazines, as well as television experience with Fox Sports and ABC Channel 7.