Gunshot Wound Will Sideline Monroe Point Guard for 4 Weeks

Daril Fleming, a senior point guard at Monroe High who was shot in the left thigh Thursday night, will miss at least four weeks, doctors told Fleming on Tuesday.

Fleming, 17, and another youth suffered gunshot wounds on Christmas night in front of a neighbor’s house in Los Angeles at 438 E. 82nd St. Lt. Joe Freia of the Los Angeles Police Department said the shots were fired by two men in a passing car.

Cornelius Harris, 16, also of Los Angeles and a student at Birmingham High, also was shot in the leg, Freia said.

Fleming, who said he may begin practicing in four weeks, was released from Martin Luther King Hospital on Friday. Monroe’s regular season ends Feb. 12.

Police believe that the attackers thought Fleming and Harris were members of a rival gang. Fleming and Harris both said they do not belong to a gang, Freia said.

The incident occurred between 8 and 8:30 p.m. while Fleming, Harris and two friends stood outside a neighbor’s house. When Fleming heard the first shot, he thought it was a backfire from a car.

Fleming said he chose to attend Monroe because he feared gang violence at his local school, Fremont High. He said playing basketball has made his trip into the Valley worthwhile.

Fleming, 5-8, 150, averaged nine points in four games this season for Monroe. His plans now are to contribute in any way he can.

“I’ll go in there and I’ll be the spiritual leader and everything,” he said. “I’ll ask the coach if he has any chores for me. But I’m really going to miss the game. Nothing can compare with this disappointment.”

Said Monroe Coach Cliff Burems: “It’s a big loss. When you lose your point guard, it forces you to make adjustments. He has good speed and he shoots well.”