LAPD Announces Arrest in 37th Place Shooting [UPDATED]
[UPDATED | Sept. 15, 4:48 p.m. PDT: LAPD has arrested a suspect Thursday in connection with the shooting involving two students at W. 37th Place, according to officials.]
LAPD arrested 21-year-old Tyson Tiree Smith of Signal Hill for the attempted murder of a USC student.
After the shooting occurred early morning on Sunday, Sept. 4, LAPD combined forces with DPS and Signal Hill Police Department to successfully find the suspect.
According to LAPD media relations, at the party, which hosted about 60 students, photographs, video and digital evidence were taken. Police used the evidence to identify the suspect through criminal resources.
The confrontation started when one of the residents discovered that his Dr. Dre Beats headphones went missing during a party in his apartment. The resident confronted the suspects about the missing headphones, at which point a gun was drawn. Two of the resident's friends, a male undergraduate USC student who lives in the apartment and a female graduate USC student, stepped in to defend the resident when the shots were fired, resulting in the two being injured.
According to LAPD Capt. Melissa Zak, the headphones were recovered at the scene. Dr. Dre Beats headphones are valued anywhere between $150 and $300.
Zak said both shooting victims are stable. The female victim is scheduled to undergo surgery and the male victim is still in California Hospital's intensive care unit.
Captain Zak also said the party was supposed to be invite-only and that the suspects were not invited. Approximately 50 to 60 people were in the apartment at the time of the party. An ATVN sports reporter was at the party when shots were fired and said chaos ensued after the gun was pulled.
LAPD officials said this is the third visit DPS has made to the apartment since the school year began late last month.
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UPDATE | Sept. 4, 12:35 p.m. PDT:
The shooting occurred at a party that began Saturday night at an apartment complex at 1241 West 37th Place, according to Sgt. Bill Smith of the LAPD's Southwest Division.
The two students confronted an uninvited guest after they suspected he had stolen a pair of expensive headphones, according to Det. M. Hernandez of the Southwest Division.
Hernandez was seen exiting the apartment complex Sunday morning. He said the residents of the apartment are cooperating with the investigation.
ATVN spoke with several residents of the 1200 block of 37th Place and only one neighbor heard anything in connection with the shooting.
Carlos, a resident of 37th Place for 20 years, lives in the house directly across the street from the apartment complex. He didn't hear the shooting but saw the aftermath. He said he wasn't surprised because there have been many problems at that building.
"It's the same building over and over again," explained Carlos. "It's scary enough that there should be security at the building at all times. It's sad to hear that the students who live there are not given proper security."
However, neighbor Leon Duck, who has lived on West 37th Place for more than 15 years, said that since the Contemporary Services Corporation Security Staff began patrolling the street, it has become much safer. USC hired CSC guards to patrol the streets surrounding the university in 2009.
The apartment complex is owned by StuHo. They could not be reached for comment.
Video shot by Alexis Zotos
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