Long Beach family mourning after 15-year-old family member killed trying to buy cellphone off online marketplace
A 15-year-old boy was fatally shot on Friday evening when he arranged to meet with the seller of a cellphone through an online mobile marketplace.
The shooting took place just before 9:30 p.m. in the 1000 block of Via Wanda, where the boy and the seller had planned to meet to complete the transaction.
When Long Beach Police Department officers arrived, they found the 15-year-old boy, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to the upper body.
Authorities identified him Saturday morning as Joshua Simmons. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
CBS reporters spoke with members of the Simmons family Saturday evening, who were grieving the loss of their loved one less than 24 hours after he was tragically killed.
They gathered on the basketball court where the incident is said to have occurred.
"I don't feel like anybody deserves to go out like that - alone," said Destiny Clark, Simmons' sister. "Nobody by his side, nobody there to hold him or let him know it's okay."
She continued to note how Simmons was, "A quiet person until you got to know him. He was shy, goofy and athletic," with a passion for football and basketball.
"He had a kind demeanor," said Jayquawn Clark, Simmon's older brother.
That sadness is mixed with anger, at how one mistake can affect a young person's life in such a way, mentioning how easy it was for an underage person to meet up with an adult.
"Young people shouldn't be able to connect with these older people that are trying to sell something," said Simmons' grandmother, Donna Yates. "Young people, you have to realize, you don't go into the dark to make no purchases."
They revealed that he was just three weeks away from celebrating his 16th birthday.
As they investigated the fatal shooting, authorities were contacted by the male suspect who admitted to his involvement.
He was detained a short time later in Long Beach, and authorities took custody of the firearm in his possession.
The suspect has been identified as 24-year-old Los Angeles resident Jose Bustamante Cardenas. He was booked on one count of murder was being held on $2 million bail.
