On Saturday night, a 13-year-old boy was killed by a stray bullet while playing a video game in his bedroom, which further shocked the community that has been pushing to end gun violence.

Pasadena Lieutenant Bill Grisaf said that the shooting occurred at 6:12 pm in the 900 block of North Redmond Avenue near Hill Street, when the bullet passed through a window.

Grisaf said that when the boy was playing a video game in a room on the first floor facing Raymond Street, he fired three to five shots nearby, at least one of which hit him.

Family member and neighbor Maria Balvaneda said that the child, Iran Moreno-Balvaneda, walked out of the room and fell into the living room. His brothers and sisters saw him and brought their parents. The boy's father held the wounded and bleeding child in his arms.

"This is definitely a tragedy for our community," Pasadena Police Chief John Perez said. "This 13-year-old is innocent. He is doing what a 13-year-old did, playing video games in his house."

He said that the target of the shooting is unknown, but it does not appear to be a boy. As of Sunday afternoon, investigators did not have any information about the suspect.

Jovita Gonzalez, 62, who lives next door, heard two gunshots on Saturday night. She went outside and saw that the boy's parents were waiting for help.

Gonzalez said his father stood motionless, apparently stunned, while the teenage mother screamed and cried in their front yard.

"She didn't say anything, she reached out and hugged me," Gonzalez said. "She pointed here, pointed at her lungs, screamed,'They hurt my child', and kept asking if the ambulance was here."

The neighbors described the boy as a smart boy who likes to play football. Pasadena City Councillor John F. Kennedy said he was told that the teenager was an all-round student. The boy lives with his parents, two brothers and a sister. Gonzalez said the family has lived nearby for at least 15 years.

She and other nearby residents said that in the past few months, there have been multiple shootings nearby.

"We are tired," Gonzalez said. "I can't even go out with my dog ​​anymore because I am afraid I will be shot."

The windows of the yellow house where the boy lives are protected by metal railings. The house is located in the middle of a tree-lined block on the main road, North Redmond Avenue, where there are old houses.

Lisa Lewis, 57, a lifelong resident of Pasadena, said: “I really feel heartbroken for the woman whose 13-year-old boy was just killed. He didn’t do nothing. He had never seen it come. Like my son."

On Friday, the day before Moreno was killed, she and her relatives had just held a service for her son, 24-year-old Jamal Lewis.

Jamal Lewis was supposed to meet his mother to watch a football match at his home near Hammond and Summit, just like he does every Monday, October 25th. Lisa Lewis heard seven gunshots, which is not uncommon, it sounds like it came from the street.

Later that evening, the authorities summoned her to the hospital, where she discovered that her son was brain dead and barely survived by the life support system.

"I don't want my son's death in vain. I don't want anyone to label him," Lisa Lewis said. "He is not a gang member."

In late October, there were four separate shootings in the city that injured four men. This triggered a meeting with Pasadena Police Department leader, city manager Steve Mermel, and city council members, Jackie Robinson An emergency meeting held in a community center.

These events prompted nearly 100 mothers, youth leaders and other local dignitaries to express their concerns about this dangerous trend.

According to Grisaf, the shooting appeared to be related to the gang. He said that detectives are trying to identify the suspect and are investigating whether the shooting is connected.

"Preliminary information indicates that these shootings were not random acts, but gang members involved in the conflict," he said at the October meeting.

In Jackie Robinson Park, youth football players were forced to climb across the field and hide in a nearby shed. Recently, students from Boys & Girls Club near Fair Oaks Avenue hid in place after a bullet hit a window.

From January 1, 2019 to June 30, 2021, the Pasadena police received more than 300 "shooting" calls and nearly 400 gun-related criminal calls, including gun robbery and gun assault And holding a gun. Grisafe said that during this period, 9 people were shot and about 30 people were injured.

He added that in the following months, the police seized nearly 700 guns.

Speaking of shooting the boy on Sunday, Kennedy said: “This is an insult, an attack on the entire community, when something like this happens,” he pointed out that it happened in a “too much criminal activity” community, and said Some residents who have left question whether they want to stay in Pasadena.

"We are looking at all the available videos that we have," Chief Perez said at a press conference at the City Hall on Sunday. "We have too many things to look at, because there are hours.... We started from before and after (shooting), we pulled a lot of things from many places, it took a lot of time. So we still have to today Go back and knock on the door and try to find more."

The police urged anyone with information about the boy's shooting to speak up. We encourage them to contact the Pasadena Police at 626-744-4241, or the Fight Crime Hotline at 800-222-TIPS (8477) or http://lacrimestoppers.org to provide information anonymously. People can also send tips through the P3 Tips mobile app.

Special contributor Ruby Gonzales contributed to this report.

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