Student Shot at School After Crossing Out Graffiti
- Share via
A 15-year-old Compton student was shot and wounded on the campus of Dominguez High School about noon Monday after he crossed out a gang sign painted on a wall, authorities said.
Dominik Townsend, a sophomore, was struck in the right leg and taken to Martin Luther King Jr./Drew Medical Center, said his father, Lenard Hart.
He was in stable condition late Monday, authorities said.
“This is the last thing in the world we expected to happen, especially on school grounds,” Hart said. “It seems like they should be able to protect the students. They should be able to control that.”
There were conflicting accounts of how the incident started. Police said Dominik spray-painted over the gang sign, but Basil Kimbrew, a Compton school board member, said Dominik accidentally drew a line over it with a pencil.
The other youth, a 17-year-old student, drew a handgun, shot Dominik in the right leg and ran off, police said. School district police on the campus rushed to the scene but the youth had escaped.
Several witnesses have identified the suspect, an alleged gang member, but police said they were unable to locate him Monday.
Sign up for Essential California
The most important California stories and recommendations in your inbox every morning.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
