Youth Opinion : San Marino Shootings: ‘It Opened People’s Eyes’

On June 5, two San Marino students were killed at a graduation party, stunning this wealthy enclave. The killings come on the heels of two slayings near Pasadena’s Blair High, where a current and former student were shot to death May 23. Here’s what a few students from both schools had to say about the killings and about flyer parties.

JUSTIN LOWE

Senior, San Marino High

I was at home and my sister told me there had been shootings and some people were dead. I didn’t believe her at the time because this is something that really doesn’t happen around here. Later that afternoon as I was watching the news, I realized this really did happen.

I felt that something like this was probably going to happen, not necessarily meaning that gang tensions had been building up in San Marino, because we really don’t have any of that element here. What I did feel coming was a sort of a wake-up call--meaning San Marino has been isolated. It seems we are a part of the world and some of the problems of the world are also our problems. We can’t continue to ignore them.

I’ve heard from other schools how they go around and put flyers on cars and throw them all over the place. I hear those parties are kind of rowdy. I’ve seen very few flyers at our school. I don’t think this was a flyer party. Those so-called flyers were more along the lines of invitations. Instead of buying cards or writing to individual people, they copied a poster and handed them out to select people. I suppose other people got ahold of these and figured it was a flyer party.

CHRISTOPHER LONG

Senior, Blair High School, Pasadena

It happened right after we had two students here shot. It’s really sad. But it’s more of a disappointment than anger because people are so stupid. It just makes me feel bad that this is the point where we’ve come, where people get ticked off at a party and come back and want to shoot people. It doesn’t reflect on the city; it reflects on the people. We have the flyers all the time. I’ve never been to one but I hear about them and most of the time I’ve not heard good things.

KEVIN CHAMBERLAIN

Senior, San Marino High

When I first heard it, I was in shock. Something like this never goes on in San Marino. You don’t hear anything about burglaries, let alone murders-- especially at high school parties. I’ve been going to parties since I was a freshman and I’ve never heard even rumors about guns being at them.

The parents of San Marino aren’t going to stand for this violence. It’s going to be a real crackdown because this is an affluent community and stuff like this doesn’t go on.

Flyer parties are usually pretty big. From what I heard this party wasn’t. There have been some in San Marino but not recently. I think probably because of the crowds flyer parties get out of hand. There are so many people and only so much space and not enough parking space out front that it usually ends up getting broken up by the police because the neighbors get disturbed.

STEPHANIE NORBERG

Senior, San Marino High

It was really scary at first, of course, that it happened right here, so close to home and everything. But it was people from other schools and I think that was a big part of it. Maybe it’s kind of a naive approach but I honestly think that with the people I hang around with, that kind of thing is not very likely to happen. So it didn’t hit home as much with me as it may have with other people at my school.

I think it may have opened people’s eyes to the fact that things can happen anywhere. But I don’t think that this is going to be a recurring problem in San Marino.

ANTOINE NIBLETT

Senior, Blair High

It shocked me because I never thought that in San Marino there’d be (anything) like that. On the other hand, I’m kind of used to it because I live in a kind of bad environment and they shoot every day anyway, so I’m not really surprised.

It did (affect my opinion of San Marino). I just thought it was a nice, respectable neighborhood where nothing happens. But now I know you’ve got to be careful. If I ever go there again I’ll watch my back.

There are plenty of flyer parties out here. They’re mostly house parties and we go and they’re fun.

JENNIFER YUAN

Senior, San Marino High School

I’m shocked because the shooting occurred near my house. I was sad someone that young would die. It makes you think: When is it going to be my time? Am I going to be able to live through my teens? It makes you wonder if your friends are going to live that long as well.

I don’t think it will change my view of San Marino much because I already knew you can’t have a 100% safe city. I know that a lot of parents are really concerned and they’re going to be a lot more careful where their children are going.

NINA VACCARO

Senior, Blair High

I was pretty shocked, not only because it was in San Marino, but I have relatives who live a couple of houses down from them. It’s a peaceful residential area.

If it can happen in San Marino it can happen pretty much anywhere. There’s a parole officer that lives down the street from us and he said that a lot of things do happen in San Marino but they just don’t publish them in the newspapers or on the news because they like to keep the image of San Marino as clean as they can.