De’Ommie De La Cruz, a 28-year-old resident of Compton, California, tragically lost her life on November 4, 2017, in a shooting incident that occurred near the Santa Monica Pier. The incident unfolded around 1 a.m. when De La Cruz and her friends were returning to their party bus after a night out. A confrontation erupted between passengers of two party buses parked along Ocean Avenue, leading to a deadly exchange of gunfire.
De La Cruz was struck by multiple bullets and succumbed to her injuries at the scene. The shooting also left three others wounded.
In the aftermath of the incident, De La Cruz's family expressed their grief and called for justice. Her mother, Tomiekia De La Cruz, highlighted De’Ommie's bravery, noting that she died while trying to usher her friends back onto the bus to safety. Despite the initial chaos and the severity of the incident, no immediate arrests were made, and the suspects remained at large for some time.
Nearly two years later, significant developments emerged in the case. In October 2019, Santa Monica police announced the arrests of two men, Cameron Lee and Ron Simmons, who were charged in connection with the shooting. Both men were already incarcerated on unrelated charges when they were identified as suspects. Lee faced charges of murder, discharge of a firearm into an occupied vehicle, and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony. Simmons was charged with attempted murder, discharge of a firearm into an occupied vehicle, use of a firearm in the commission of a felony, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Both men also faced gang-related enhancements.
In addition to the criminal proceedings, De La Cruz's family pursued legal action against the City of Santa Monica and the party bus company, Lion Limousine Corp. The lawsuit alleged that both entities were liable for De La Cruz's death, citing negligence and failure to ensure the safety of the passengers. The family claimed that the bus driver had ignored their concerns about the presence of suspicious individuals in the parking lot and insisted they use the restroom near the pier, ultimately leading to the fatal confrontation.
The tragic death of De’Ommie De La Cruz not only highlighted the dangers associated with party buses but also underscored the broader issues of gun violence and gang-related activities in the area. Her family continues to seek justice and remember her as a devoted mother and a courageous individual who lost her life in a senseless act of violence.
