A 15-year-old high school student was fatally stabbed outside a Long Beach middle school, allegedly after the suspect tried to grab his backpack, police said Thursday.
Keshawn Brooks was walking home from Cabrillo High School Thursday before 3:25 p.m. when he was confronted and attacked by another teenager, according to the Long Beach Police Department.
He was stabbed multiple times across the street from Stephens Middle School in the 2800 block of Santa Fe Avenue as school was letting out, a news release from the department stated.
The older teen then fled the scene.
Community members called 911 and began administering CPR on the teen as they waited for paramedics to arrive, a news release from the department stated.
Keshawn was transported to an area hospital by paramedics from the Long Beach Fire Department.
He later died from his injuries.
Keshawn’s grief-stricken father spoke out about his son’s killing at an evening press conference.
“My son was not a gang member,” Keeyon Brooks told reporters. “This was a murder done outright. And he did not deserve this.”
Brooks also thanked the bystanders who helped his son in the wake of the assault.
“To the people who came to his aid, I would like to thank you very much,” he said. “It pleases me that he was not alone during his time of death.”
A short time after the attack, officers ascertained the whereabouts of the teen suspected in the stabbing, 18-year-old Giovanny Montelongo, according to the release.
Montelongo, a Long Beach resident, was taken into custody at a residence in the 1700 block of West Columbia Avenue.
According to Long Beach police Chief Robert Luna, the suspect had a criminal history and authorities were looking into his past.
A motive for the stabbing remained under investigation, police said.
Police were asking thosewho witnessed the afternoon attack to come forward and provide additional assistance in the case. Anyone with information was asked to call Long Beach police homicide Detectives Malcolm Evans and Mark Bigel Guarino at 562- 570-7244.
Anonymous tips can also be left by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.