Killing of Two S.D. Teens May Be Linked to Gangs

Two teen-age boys--the apparent victims of gang violence--were found shot to death Sunday on the front lawn of a San Diego high school, police reported.

The bodies of Chang Lee, 16, and Sisouphanh Khamphila, 18, both of San Diego, were discovered at Morse High School in Southeast San Diego by members of a youth track club that was gathering at 6 a.m. to travel to a meet, police said.

The runners initially thought the victims were asleep on the grass and honked car horns to try to awaken them.

It was then discovered that both were dead, said Lt. Paul Ybarrando of the San Diego police.

“It was an execution-style thing, shot right there,” Ybarrando said. “We’re surmising it’s a gang slaying.”

Each was shot in the head and in the back “several times” at close range by a small-caliber handgun, Ybarrando said.

It was unclear Sunday how long the teen-agers had been dead before their bodies were discovered, Ybarrando said. The high school, located at 6905 Skyline Drive, is surrounded by houses but neighbors apparently heard nothing, he said.

“It’s a mystery until we sort out who these people are and what they’ve been up to,” Ybarrando said.

“Maybe that will give us some ideas about what happened to them,” he added.