Curtis Johnson, 34

C.J was a loving and caring man and father. He didn't bother no one. Some cowards took my grand daughter's father life.My grand daughter has lived with him since birth, she is now 3 years old. Her father was celebrating his birthday at the time he was shot. Please stop all this senseless killing people.To my daughter, Markeisha, and my granddaughter, Cemya, I love you.CJ will truly be missed.

Why would anyone attend a party in that area, at that time? Common sense tells me these are trouble-brewing spots.

Keep your dumb comments to yourself. we are grieving.

i was at that food for less earlier that day and seen a bunch of fools hanging out across the street from that charter school on western. something told me to keep it pushing instead of hit that churches chiccen for a bite....smh. R.I.P to the brother reguaredless, i see they got the flowers up already.....

My Brother had a very big heart.... He loved his family and friends which, to him, where his family too.... He was beautiful, smart, and caring. His children were the loves of his life. He celebrated his three M's; Munchkin Baby, Mighty Mighty, and Mammy Jammy.... No one could ever replace him and I knew no one else like him. I knew him all his life.... He was Malcolm, Martin, and Marcus!!!! I will always love my brother and nothing could ever take him away from me.... His spirit is forever!!!! Wake Up!!!!

BIGEAST- they got the flowers up? they said the suspect was black... AND after this kind of violence, i dont think that gang activity on this blog is appropriate. the correct spelling is CHICKEN.

This is our city, some of us work hard. Contribute, and live in low income areas. We are no different than the people that walk Sunset at 3:00am drunk on the weekends walking to their jaguars and hummers. This is our community, and we will not live in fear. Sad to say, protection has to be taken into our own hands. And L.A Times. I agree accepting diverse comments, but keep the low blows out... like Meck, that wasn't even a debatable nor worthy comment, sheer lack of respect from readers and staff. These are humans that passed away, locally.

This area has a lot of sets within a short radius around it

Rolling 90's NHC
Rolling 100's NHC
Avenue Piru 104th to 109th
SouthxLos 13
Denver Lane Bloods
etc

Every time someone dies (wether they were a good or bad person in life) they are always labeled as "loving, caring etc". This phrase is just as overly used as the ever-so-famous "im sorry". Totally agree with "Meck"...anyone who attends a party in this area and at this time is just asking for trouble. He unintentionally placed himself in the line of fire.

Not all parties that are held in this area are all bad. Not all areas are hangouts for gangs either. Some people have strange imaginations, (and do not think twice before they put their empty feeling-less thoughts into words) when things occur away from where they live! If you can not say anything nice, keep it to yourself...especially when you never even met the people mentioned. Sick,sad, and miserable people feel better about themselves when they can humiliate someone that is already down.Keep hiding behind your computer screen, and once you feel better about yourself, maybe, just maybe you will stop what you are doing.I won't mention any names, but once you read this, you will know just who it is meant for.

Meck go worry about Downey instead of talking crap about other cities

BARRERAS - No one is talking crap. Just wondering why someone would be out partying late in a known gang area. If you read this blog long enough, you'll find that parties in known gang areas (like this one), lead to trouble. And I do worry about my city, I attend all the neighborhood watch meetings. I like to make a conscious effort to keep this type of violence away from my community. Maybe you should worry about your city, too!

You'll always be in our hearts. RIP CJ

rest in peace my brother your killer will have to answer to the man above god bless curtis johnson and his family the block nov 30 2010 555pm

People please stop coming on the homicide report to trash the deceased, whom the main ones doing the trashing have never met and have no real knowledge of the deceased. I did not know Curtis but I do know this, where you live at does not make you a better or worst person in the world. You cannot say because you live in the hills that your are better than somethat lives in an urban area or vice versa. Please stop, this behavior amounts to nothing less then blog bullying, it only reveals the real condition of your own heart. If you really hate the violence join the people in your community or the crime ridden communities that you trash and get out there with those folks who on the weekends are praying on the corner, passing out flyers, assisting those families in bereavement, get out there and make a change. Your negative comments won't change anyone or any community, but your positive actions will go a longway toward a great change.

— Sheba, if we don't speak the truth, who will? We are taking a stand against violence by not sugarcoating it. We are saying things that need to be said but who have long been silenced by politically correct speech codes.

You know the reason this blog exists. If you want a sanitized version of events, go to the obituaries.

I have always said that murder is an ugly event and it isn't something to be downplayed.

Many of the victims in this blog were themselves perpetrators of street terror. And it was their conduct that put them and society at risk. If the truth hurts their relatives, then so be it. They can pretend their loved ones didn't engage in sociopathic behavior, and people like me wont be afraid to speak the truth about it.

— syscom3
Very well said!

CJ was one of the coolest and caring people I know. This is definitely a tragic and senseless loss.

Sycom3...I have read this blog for years now and I've noticed your comments. I do agree that the violence needs to stop, but the way you're going about it is all wrong. Sheba says"If you really hate the violence join the people in your community or the crime ridden communities that you trash and get out there with those folks who on the weekends are praying on the corner, passing out flyers, assisting those families in bereavement, get out there and make a change. Your negative comments won't change anyone or any community, but your positive actions will go a longway toward a great change.", Try getting out and helping to fight the violence with the rest of the concerned citizens, because it can't be done from your home office overlooking the beach in Orange County!

I have been reading this blog for some time now and cant help to wonder if MECK and SYSCOM 3 are one in the same. Always, making generalizations and speaking about what they know nothing about. Homicide occurs every where from Bel-Air to Watts. Having grown up in the projects of Jordan Downs and having lived in E. LA and now in South Pasadena can tell you first hand. Instead of adding gas to the flame, offer a positive solution. It is easy to pass judgement when you are sitting behind your monitor without having lived in those areas.

— The True Sociopath

No one has ever proven Meck or I wrong. If anything, we bring truth to the debate and are not shackled by PC speech codes.

According to the homicide report maps, there has been zero homicides in Bel-Air since 2007. In Watts there has been 57. By expanding two miles outwards from the middle of Watts, there has been 147. You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to know that some places have a far higher homicide rate as compared to others.

Let me put it into perspective for you. Those 147 homicides in four years is almost 15 years worth of homicides in my city.

You obviously haven’t read all of my solutions to this man-made disaster in the killing fields. Gang activity and the destruction they bring requires a multi-faceted response from society. Most of all, it must begin with the people who live there and allow this barbarism to continue. And since when is speaking the truth considered “adding gas to the fire”?

And its easy for people like you to demand ever increasing taxes from people like me so to take care of the problems in the impacted neighborhoods.

— Each1Teach1..2010 .....

The place I work for change is through my elected officials and on election day. That’s plenty of positive work right there.

And what makes you believe I live in Orange County? And for the record; I dislike the beach.

— The True Sociopath
Why would you say I speak about something I know nothing about. I was raised near Tweedy and Long Beach Blvd in South Gate, just walking distance from Watts. I've also lived in front of Pecan Park in Boyle Heights. What you know about me? Seems like the one that's quick to pass judgement is you. I just call it like it is. Syscom3 seems to do the same. Like he says, if you want nice, pretty comments, go read the obituaries. Peace!

As a current LAPD cadet I can tell everyone that most of the officers who patrol low income neighborhoods like this one do not show the "protect and serve" attitude that officers in middle and upper class neighborhoods show. I remember one night while on patrol on Figueroa and 48th St. I heard the RTO radio all units with the code of shots fired. I asked the officer "did you hear that code!"...he said "oh yeah, in these ghetto areas we hear that every night but we don't rush to the scene due to officer safety" and he took his sweet time driving to the scene at no more then 40mph and this was a 9 year vet! In middle and upper class neighborhoods LEO's don't have such a "I don't care" attitude. Just being totally honest.

-Meck, by saying that you and syscom3 make generalizations IS NOT passing judgment. Human nature is for you to say that as a form of self defense mechanism. Allow me to break it down in terms you can understand. If you indeed have lived in those areas then you should have witnessed first hand the corruption in law enforcement. Furthermore, you need to step back and look deeply for the root of the problems. For that you need to look at the top of the social contract. This is not about wanting to hear "nice, pretty comments" this is about(at least for me) hearing stupid comments.

Even if police were corrupt, what would make the gangbangers shoot each other and innocent people? Do you think the police pay them to do this? It's just a case of people with no respect for life or each other.

From the northeast,

Ofcouse no one is saying that cops do that. Corruption IS PART OF THE PROBLEM. Stop living in the Ghetto of the mind and look at big picture. These people need real solutions like job trainings, JOBS, better education, etc.

I didn't know CJ for too long we was actually just becoming tight before his death we met each other through multiple mutual peers and we clicked fast we stayed playing madden at the phone shop gambling and debating he was a very cool person im 21 so im way ot his age bracket but i never seen him angry or anything he always had a coo, calm, chill demeanor to him I wish i could have had the chance to get to know him a lil longer. CJ u will be missed R.I.P

I knew CJ for about 20+ years. I must say, that man had a good heart. For everyone who thinks he's this or that, CJ died trying to do the right thing. R.I.P CJ, you'll always be my LiL Homie..