Grieving Mother Pleads for Help Solving Son’s Killing

Under an evening drizzle, a teenage basketball player’s grieving mother, police and residents in Inglewood asked for the public’s help in finding 18-year-old Andre Morgan’s killer.

On Nov. 26, a gunman approached Morgan about 6:30 p.m. as he walked in the 600 block of East Arbor Vitae St. near Prairie Avenue and shot him multiple times. The man ran to a waiting car and got in the back seat, and the car drove off, said Inglewood Police Lt. Eve Irvine.

Morgan, a Crenshaw High School senior, honor roll student and basketball player, died later that night.

About 50 people gathered Thursday at the scene of the shooting to draw attention to the killing. Pictures of Morgan, candles and other items adorned a shrine. His mother spoke of his dream of playing basketball at UCLA.

“He had a love of basketball. I couldn’t keep him off the court,” said Sharon Johnson. “On Dec. 3, he was supposed to take his SATs. On Dec. 6, he was going to play in his first basketball game of the season. Instead, on Dec. 6, I buried my son.”

Her family came to the United States from Jamaica in 1991, Johnson said. Andre was the third of five children.

“He was an excellent student from his very early grades,” Johnson said. “He was very jolly, very friendly--a real go-getter. If he set his mind to achieve something, he was going to achieve it.”

Morgan was walking to a friend’s house after basketball practice when he was shot.

“The victim . . . was well liked. He was on the honor roll and not affiliated with any gang,” Irvine said.

The killer is described as African American, 5 feet 9 to 6 feet tall, wearing a black jacket, blue pants and a black beanie. Two other people were in the car with him, Irvine said. Anyone with information is asked to call homicide detectives at (310) 412-5246.

“I plead to the public: If you saw or heard anything that night, please help me,” Johnson said.

Inglewood City Councilwoman Judy Dunlap said that since Jan. 1, a killing has occurred every eight days in Inglewood.

“We should put an end to this senseless violence,” she said.

Homicide Det. Stephen Seyler said police know that people saw the shooting.

“We’re hoping someone takes pity on this woman and comes forward. We know there were other witnesses in the street who didn’t talk to us. The shooter and the two others in the car might have talked to someone,” Seyler said. “We’re hoping someone will give us some information.”