Car’s Color Apparent Factor in Gang Slaying
The color of a car apparently led to a gang-related clash at Carmelitos Housing Project in Long Beach Tuesday that resulted in the shooting death of one young man and the arrest of another.
The victim was identified as Billy Ray Williams, 24, a project resident.
The trouble began about 4:25 p.m. when Williams’ 18-year-old nephew drove past several Crips gang members in a burgundy-colored car, said Long Beach Police spokeswoman Estella Martinez.
Apparently mistaking the car’s color for an indication that its driver belonged to a rival gang, Martinez said, the Crips followed the youth and waited near the car even after the youth went inside.
When the driver and Williams tried to shoo the gang members away, a shouting match erupted, followed by a hail of bullets, Martinez said. Williams was hit in the stomach.
Police arrested Ronald Johnson, 20, also a resident of the project, for investigation of the crime.
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