On June 3, 2022, Duwayane Thomas, a 24-year-old resident of Long Beach, California, was tragically killed in a gang-related shooting. The incident occurred around 10:55 p.m. near the intersection of 14th Street and Walnut Avenue. According to the Long Beach Police Department, three men approached Thomas and opened fire without provocation. As the suspects fled the scene on foot, they also fired shots at a nearby woman who was driving a vehicle.
Thomas was transported to a hospital by paramedics but succumbed to his injuries. The woman, who was not known to Thomas, sustained multiple non-life-threatening gunshot wounds and was treated at a hospital.
Following a thorough investigation, the Long Beach Police Department identified and arrested five suspects in connection with the shooting. On July 21, 2022, a multi-location warrant service was executed in Long Beach, Signal Hill, and Los Angeles, leading to the arrests. The suspects included 21-year-old Filasifoki Xavier Pio of Los Angeles, 19-year-old Santiago Rivera of Signal Hill, a 15-year-old male from Long Beach, 47-year-old Michael Keith Levine of Long Beach, and 19-year-old Emery Jezabel Hinojos of Long Beach. Pio, Rivera, and the 15-year-old were booked on charges of murder and attempted murder. Levine was charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, while Hinojos faced charges of possession of a firearm with a prior juvenile court sustained petition, accessory after the fact, and concealing evidence.
The motive for the shooting was determined to be gang-related. The case was presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for filing consideration. The arrests and subsequent charges marked a significant step in addressing the violence and bringing justice for Duwayane Thomas and the injured woman. The Long Beach Police Department urged anyone with additional information about the incident to come forward and assist in the ongoing investigation.
