A Promising Life Cut Short

On the evening of November 23, 2016, 16-year-old Danah Rojo-Rivas was returning home from a church function with her mother and older brother. As they waited at a red light on Euclid Avenue and Long Beach Boulevard in Lynwood, California, their vehicle was caught in the crossfire of a gang-related shooting. A stray bullet struck Danah in the upper torso, fatally wounding her.

The Unfolding of Tragedy

The intended target of the shooting had exited his vehicle and fled on foot, using the Rojo-Rivas family's car as a shield. The assailants, pursuing in a light-colored four-door sedan, fired multiple shots, one of which penetrated the family's vehicle and struck Danah. In the chaos that ensued, the family's dog, Luna, escaped from the car and was subsequently hit and killed by a passing vehicle. ...Read More