12-year-old student shot walking home from school

DOWNEY – A local father is distraught after he says his son was shot on his way home from school last week. 

Francisco Lopez says that his 12-year old son was hit with a projectile while traveling southbound on Paramount Boulevard at the corner of Farm Avenue, shortly after school released last Monday afternoon. 

“He was walking home from school and someone shot him,” said Lopez. “They’re not sure if it was one shot or two shots, but there’s two projectiles – or fragments I should say – in him.”
According to Lopez, the fragments – lodged in his hand and skull - seem too big to be from a bb gun, and resemble what might be found in a shotgun shell. 

Lopez claims that his son, a seventh grader at Griffiths Middle School, was alone during the time of the alleged incident, and that currently there are no witnesses. Lopez and his son live about a mile away from the school. 

“He walked home after that. He still continued walking home,” said Lopez. “When he got home, he called and said ‘Dad, I got shot.’”

Lopez says he called his neighbor who then went to check on his son. His neighbor reported that his son was covered in blood.

Lopez’s son has since gone into shock over the incident, and does not recall many details.

“He doesn’t remember walking home. He remembers calling me, and after that he doesn’t remember too much about it,” said Lopez. “He was interviewed by Downey Police, and he didn’t have too much information for them either.”

According to Lopez, detectives are currently investigating. However he says he was told that their hands were tied due to the lack of information. 

Detectives did not return a phone call seeking comment.

A representative from Downey Unified School District said that DUSD is distraught that the incident occurred, and that they are fully cooperating with DPD. All district schools have also been alerted to the incident and have been cautioned to be on the lookout for any suspicious activity during the hours of student release.