Mayor, Officials Hold Press Conference on Shooting of Young Boy; City Council Meeting Canceled

Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo, along with City Councilmembers and Pasadena Deputy Police Chief Cheryl Moody, held a press conference at City Hall today at 4 p.m. to discuss the shooting of a 13-year-old boy killed by a stray bullet Saturday evening.

Monday’s City Council meeting was canceled due to a lack of a quorum and has been rescheduled for next week

“There are no words that can fully do justice to truly express our feelings and thoughts for the Moreno family, and for our larger pain as a community for yet another senseless loss. As a father, I cannot fathom the unbearable anguish that Iran’s parents are going through at this moment and the pain that they will live with for the rest of their lives,” Gordo said in a statement on Monday.

“We as a community must all come together to embrace his family, friends and neighbors. We also recognize the efforts of the first responders who did all they could to save Iran’s life.”

Gordo said the people responsible must be bought to swift justice.

“Those who committed this heinous act must be brought swiftly to justice, and I am calling upon those responsible to turn themselves in now. I also am pleading with members of our community to share any information they may have—no matter how small—with law enforcement. Our community must not stand for violence and, while seeking justice for their son can never take away the hole in their hearts, we pray it will bring some sense of relief for the Moreno family.”

Iran Moreno-Balvaneda was playing a video game at his home in the 900 block of North Raymond Avenue when the gunfire erupted shortly after 6 p.m. Saturday.

According to Lt. William Grisafe, the boy was struck by a bullet that entered the house after multiple shots were fired.

Police did not know whether the shooter fired from a vehicle or was on foot.

Chief John Perez said that police officers responded to the shooting in under a minute and administered CPR.

The boy died at a local hospital.

In a statement released on Monday, City Councilmember John J. Kennedy implored the shooter to surrender to authorities.

“To the person who thought so little of all of us to fire a gun in our neighborhood and take this young life: The consequence of your thoughtless action is grief and suffering beyond words. Turn yourself in.”

Kennedy also called on anyone who was with or knows the shooter to turn them in.

Last month, Kennedy held a community meeting to address a spike in gun violence.

During that emergency meeting, city officials and police outlined steps to stop an increase in shootings in Pasadena, and reached out to members of the public for their perspectives.

The week before the shooting, six shootings left four people hurt and one man dead.

Jamal Dion Patterson died after he was fatally shot in the 1000 block of Summit Avenue.