Tavin Price, 19, was enjoying spending time with his mother and nephew at Top Car Wash in Los Angeles when he was confronted for wearing the color red. Crips gang members Kevin Johnson, 26, Kanasho Johns, 29, and Dwight Smith, 31, believed that Price was a member of the Bloods gang and approached the teenager.
According to NBC LA, Price was wearing a red shirt with the word “Crenshaw” on the front and red shoes on May 29, 2015. Smith was the first to approach Price and asked him what set he was claiming and why he was wearing red. Price responded by saying that he didn’t gang bang. Smith continued to harass Price and told him to take his sneakers off. Price’s nephew attempted to reason with the gang members by telling them that Price was mentally challenged. Price had the mental capacity of a 12-year-old.
Price and his nephew went back to his mother, who was waiting in the parking lot of the car wash. When he began talking to his mother about the incident, Johns approached Price and shot him dead while his mother watched.
The senseless killing is another example of how gang culture across the nation continues to affect innocent lives. In Los Angeles, nearly 60 percent of homicides were gang-related last year, according to LAPD.
But while gang violence continues to be a major issue, some organizations are looking to put an end to the crime and brutality. Following the shooting of several unarmed Black men across the nation, The Game and Snoop teamed up Tony Muhammad and the Nation of Islam for the United Hoods and Gangs Nation peace and unity summit at Mosque #27. When Muhammad began the program, over 3K Bloods and Crips were on location. With all of the leaders of the top gangs present, they decided to call a truce and pledged for peace.
However, more needs to be done so that gang violence is completely eradicated.
Smith pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and faces 12 years in prison. Johns and Johnson were both found guilty and will face 50 years in prison.
