Cabrillo High School Student, 15, Stabbed To Death In Long Beach
LONG BEACH (CBLA.com) — A 15-year-old high school student was fatally stabbed Thursday.
A 10 p.m. news conference was held to discuss the stabbing, which reportedly occurred near Stephens Middle School, located at Santa Fe Avenue and West Columbia.
According to officials, Keshawn Brooks, a student at nearby Cabrillo High School, was walking home when he was confronted by a suspect who attempted to grab his backpack. A struggle ensued and the victim was stabbed in front of horrified students and parents at the middle school.
One witness called 911 while others provided first aid.
Brooks was rushed to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The suspect, identified as 18-year-old Giovanny Montelongo, of Long Beach, was arrested at his home about an hour after the incident.
"My son was not a gang member," Brooks' father Keeyon Layton said. "This was a murder. Down outright. And he did not deserve this. And to the people who came to his aid, I would like to thank you, very much. It pleases me that he was not alone during his time of death."
The Brooks family asked anyone with information regarding the stabbing to contact police.
The relationship between the suspect and victim was unclear, and a motive has yet to be determined.
Grief counselors were expected to be at Cabrillo High School Friday.
