Boy Killed in Drive-By Shooting

A 13-year-old boy was killed in a drive-by shooting as he left church Sunday afternoon with friends, authorities said.

The shooting occurred about 2 p.m. in the 1800 block of West Boulevard, an area where “a known gang” was hanging out, said Officer Adriana Sanchez of the Los Angeles Police Department. Police were searching for two males in a white, late-model, four-door sedan.

The victim, who was identified by his family as Joseph Swist, an eighth-grader at Mount Vernon Middle School, had just left First Presbyterian Church when he was attacked. “He was crossing the street to go get a snack,” said the boy’s aunt, Loreal Arbuckle-Muhammad. “We feel awful. He’s a 13-year-old kid. He hasn’t even started his life yet.”