Warner Jude Stern Jr., a 59-year-old resident of Los Angeles, California, tragically lost his life on October 16, 2017. Stern was shot in the 1700 block of West 77th Street in Manchester Square. On that fateful day, a group of men, including Stern, were playing dominoes around 11:20 a.m. when two young men, believed to be in their late teens or early twenties, approached three nearby teenagers and yelled a gang slur.
The two men then pulled out guns and began shooting at the teenagers, who fled the scene. In the chaos, the gunmen turned their attention to Stern and another man, Clifford Gordon Benton, who were trying to escape the gunfire. The shooters fired at Stern and Benton, resulting in Stern being taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead the next day at 5:45 a.m. Benton was pronounced dead at the scene. Neither Stern nor Benton were involved in gangs, but authorities believe the gunmen were.
The investigation into Stern's death revealed that the shooters fled on foot north on South St. Andrews Place. Despite the efforts of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) to gather information and encourage witnesses to come forward, the case initially remained unsolved. However, the persistence of law enforcement eventually led to significant developments. The case took a turn when Keith Alan Walker was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder for the killings of Warner Stern and Clifford Benton. Walker was also convicted on four counts of assault with a semiautomatic weapon, highlighting the violent nature of the incident.
The legal proceedings surrounding Stern's death were complex and involved multiple charges against Walker. The conviction brought some measure of justice to the families of Stern and Benton, though the senseless violence that led to their deaths left a lasting impact on the community. The case underscored the ongoing issues of gang-related violence in Los Angeles and the challenges faced by law enforcement in addressing such crimes. The LAPD continued to urge anyone with additional information about the incident to come forward, emphasizing the importance of community cooperation in solving violent crimes and bringing perpetrators to justice.
