Boy, 16, Shot to Death at School in Compton

A 16-year-old boy was shot and killed by a 14-year-old when a fight erupted Friday morning on the sidewalk outside a Compton junior high school, Sheriff’s Department officials said.

The victim, Ronnie D. Williams, a student at Centennial High School in Compton, was rushed to Martin Luther King Jr. General Hospital, where he died shortly after arrival.

The shooting occurred in front of Vanguard Junior High School, which is in county territory adjoining Compton. Both schools are in the Compton Unified School District.

A 13-year-old student at Vanguard, believed to be the owner of the gun used in the shooting, was detained by authorities, the spokesman said. He later was released to the custody of his parents.

The 14-year-old who allegedly fired the gun was arrested later in the day by members of a sheriff’s gang detail and booked for investigation of murder, officials said. Neither youth was identified.

Sheriff’s investigators said Williams and another youth were walking along the sidewalk when they became involved in a verbal exchange with students inside the school yard. An undetermined number of students then ran out of the yard and a fight began with the two passers-by, the spokesman said.

The 13-year-old allegedly took a gun from under his clothing and handed it to the 14-year-old, who in turn shot Williams, the spokesman said. Williams then staggered across the street into an alley where he was later found, the spokesman said.

Williams’ companion fled the scene and was not injured. The spokesman said the gun has not been recovered.

Principal Mattye Goins said most students were in class at the time of the shooting, and that only students attending a gym class may have been aware of the incident.

Goins said teachers and clerical staff at the school gave up their lunch hour to help supervise students during the lunch period.

“The school went about its business as usual,” she said later in the afternoon. “All our students are in class and they are calm.”