On October 22, 2023, at approximately 2:34 p.m., officers from the Long Beach Police Department responded to reports of a gunshot victim near 14th Street and Long Beach Boulevard. Upon arrival, they discovered Thomas Ferguson, a 33-year-old resident of Fontana, California, lying near 14th Street and Palmer Court with multiple gunshot wounds to his upper body.
Officers and Long Beach Fire Department personnel administered medical aid before transporting Ferguson to a local hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
The initial investigation revealed that Ferguson had been inside 14th Street Park when an altercation occurred, escalating into a shooting. The suspect fled the scene before police arrived. At the time, it was unclear if Ferguson and the assailant were acquainted. Detectives believed multiple individuals were present in or near the park during the incident and sought public assistance for additional information.
Through their investigation, homicide detectives identified Joseph Ballard, a 23-year-old resident of Long Beach, as the suspect responsible for Ferguson's death. Ballard had been arrested on November 17, 2023, for an unrelated case and was subsequently sentenced to state prison. On February 7, 2024, detectives presented the murder case to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office, which filed an arrest warrant for Ballard on charges of murder. On March 18, 2024, Special Investigations Division detectives transported Ballard from state prison to the Long Beach City Jail, where he was booked for the outstanding murder warrant. He was scheduled for arraignment on the murder charge later that week.
The Long Beach Police Department continues to encourage anyone with information regarding the incident to contact Homicide Detectives Jesus Espinoza or Alfredo Chairez at (562) 570-7244.
