While riding with his family yesterday afternoon through the Harbor Gateway neighborhood, a 6-year-old boy was shot in the head. He is in critical condition.

The shooter, described as a Latino man in his 20's, was apparently involved in a gang.

The family of six was in a red sports utility vehicle around 12:30 p.m. when a man walked onto the road, flashed gang signs, and fired several shots at the car as it was moving, [Officer Ana Aguirre, a police spokeswoman] said. - KCBY.com

The family was apparently unaffiliated with the shooter in any way.

Local residents have reacted strongly, as this shooting follows a week of particularly heavy gang violence which has targeted innocent victims.

Josefina Salazar, 40, who lives in the neighborhood with her two children, said residents live in constant fear of gang violence.

"We worry about our security here," she said. "But rent is so high there's no option to go anywhere else."

"This place has no laws," said [another resident]. The police "never come to protect. They come to collect the dead." - Los Angeles Times

Photo by amaah via Flickr