William Henry Juarez grieved over the shooting deaths of his two sons in, of all places, Santa Monica, with its reputation as a city comfortably safe from the gang wars around it.
But despite its reputation, Juarez had seen the danger lurking in Santa Monica and nearby areas.
"I moved to [Cayucos in] San Luis Obispo [County] to get away from the violence," he said, sitting in his mother's apartment in Santa Monica. "My sons were wonderful boys, they were not affiliated with any gangs. My heart goes out to the shooters' families. They don't know the damage their children have caused our family."
His sons, Michael, 27, and Anthony, 19, were killed Tuesday, becoming the latest victims in a string of retaliatory gang shootings in which four people have been slain in two weeks in the city. In addition, a German tourist was fatally shot in an unrelated attack outside an expensive beachfront hotel.
The unusual spate of violence--in a city that saw only one murder last year--has jolted residents and leaders alike who are accustomed to their town being in the spotlight for a beachfront lifestyle, chic restaurants and shops, affluent neighborhoods and liberal politics--not for bloody street violence.
City leaders, quick to protect Santa Monica's image as a major tourist haven--are responding to the crisis by minimizing its impact on everyday life in the city.
"This is a war between two gangs, and they are looking for gang members and they are not interested in anyone else," said Mayor Robert Holbrook. "What we've got is two gangs who are shooting at each other and we happen to be at one end of the battlefield."
Gang experts say that the shootings are the latest in a long-running feud among two to four Westside gangs that have long terrorized pockets of Mar Vista, Venice and other areas of the Westside. This time, however, the turf wars have crossed the border of Santa Monica.
Juarez said he saw the violent clouds gathering years ago, prompting him to pack up and move his family to the quieter town up the coast.
Michael and Anthony were visiting their cousin at a clothing shop he partly owns when the shooting occurred. Michael wanted to open a similar store in Cayucos. Anthony, who had just graduated from high school, was attending a local community college and wanted to be a landscape architect.
"The shootings have got to stop," sobbed Ginger Berg, Anthony's mother. "Losing a child is my worst nightmare come true. It's horrible. I hate guns."
