Police are investigating the slaying of a man near a Long Beach gas station Thursday night as a possible gang-related shooting.
One of several in recent weeks, the incident happened about 7:30 p.m. near the USA gas station on Seventh Street and Alamitos Avenue near downtown.
A string of recent shootings has residents on edge about a perceived increase of crime in their community.
"It was POW, POW, POW! I think I heard three or four shots," said Guy Mason, who lives two blocks away from Thursday night's shooting. "We hear shootings around here, helicopters coming by."
A woman who only wanted to use the name "Rosita" said she is careful about where she goes at night.
"It's pretty OK during the day, but once it gets dark, it’s like the vampires come out," she said.
Police could not say whether a gas station shooting last month was gang related to Thursday’s. They are still looking for the shooter or shooters who opened fire at a gas station near Del Amo and Long Beach Boulevard, critically injuring a 10-year-old boy who was sitting in the backseat of his parent’s car.
"Perception is reality. If our residents feel unsafe, they can’t go to the gas station to pump their gas," said Long Beach City Councilman Al Austin, who blames the violence on budget cuts that eliminated the city's gang enforcement unit.
"In the past several years, we have lost 200 police officers from our police force," Austin said. "I think we’re starting to realize the impacts of that in our communities today."
Despite the public perception, violent crime in the city is the lowest it has been in 40 years, according to Police Chief Jim McDonnell.
From January to the end of March, there have been 590 violent crimes, which include rape, robbery, murder and aggravated assault, citywide. That's down from 675 crimes from the same time period last year, according to the chief.
"The gangs drive our violent crime numbers in this city," McDonnell said. "The fact that violent crime is down over all means gang violence is down over all."
Murders in the city are the only violent crime category that has increased. There have been eleven murders this year, compared to six last year.
The city was able to restore half the gang enforcement unit recently, according to McDonnell.
"We're hoping we'll be able to pull that off again this coming year with this budget," McDonnell said. "Be our partner. If you see crime happening in your neighborhood, don't accept that that's OK in any neighborhood, in this city."