Compton after-school program closes as turf war between two gangs spills onto its doorstep
A popular after-school program in Compton after a violent turf war between two rival gangs spilled onto its doorstep.
"I have to know that some type of truce or some type of protection is going to happen here in Compton," said Coach Derrick Cooper.
Cooper, the founder of Wildcat Youth Academy, has been working with kids in the area for 27 years. The Wildcats started as a youth sports program and expanded to include after-school activities and even childcare. He has dozens of kids on the waiting list for his Compton facility but Cooper lacks the funding to help them.
"I've stopped them from joining gangs, from getting in trouble," said Cooper.
Despite his good deeds, Cooper and his kids could not escape the violence happening around them. Last Friday, the children in the program ran in fear as gunfire rang out just feet from the program's playground. Luckily, a coordinator ushered the frightened kids inside and away from the danger.
"She acted so quickly to get the kids out of the area where the gunfire was at," said Cooper. "Had them all come in and hit the ground."
A walk around his block on Compton Boulevard gave a glimpse into the violence happening around the academy.
"There's a lot of graffiti," said Cooper. "You can tell ... They're crossing out each other's set and that's causing a lot of problems."
"Sets" are essentially a subsection or a chapter of a gang. They are typically connected to larger networks such as the Bloods or Crips but could have their own leader.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department told Cooper that his academy was caught in the middle of a violent turf war between two rival gangs. He said he will keep his doors closed until the program gets the help it needs to ensure every child's safety.
"We need security," he said. "We need volunteers. We need funding. [With] those three things, we can turn this around — I know I can."
