Mayor Victor Gordo Issues Message to the City

I am heartbroken that once again our City has had another incident of gun violence in such a short span of time. Yesterday, November 23rd, in East Pasadena, two people were killed and two other innocent victims were involved but fortunately were uninjured.

It’s important to note that this was not a gang related incident and based upon our preliminary information, Police Officers arrived on scene and located a male victim, who had been struck several times by gunfire. In his attempt at escape, the suspect, armed with a firearm, carjacked a vehicle, but ultimately fled on foot once officers arrived. Officers gave chase, made contact with the suspect, and an Officer Involved Shooting (OIS) occurred. At one point during the incident, the suspect took a second female hostage at gunpoint. The hostage was ultimately rescued, unharmed. I commend our officers for their quick response time and swift action in preventing any further loss of life.

While we are in the midst of mourning for 13-year-old Iran who was killed by a bullet shot into his home last Saturday evening, this further incident of gun violence is upsetting and unsettling for our entire community.

As your Mayor, I want you to know that the safety of our City is my top priority. I am working with my City Council colleagues, our City Manager, Police Chief, Fire Chief, City staff and community leaders to address this violence as well as assist with the immediate needs of our community members who are deeply impacted. I ask all of you to keep our victims in your prayers as we work to stop this violence.

We are marshaling all our City resources and focusing on prevention and intervention efforts as was needed in this latest incident, and I stress the importance for all of us to work together as neighbors and friends, to address the issue of violence in our community. Today we announce a $10,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the suspect(s) responsible for the tragic murder of 13-year old Iran on November 20th. Anyone with information about this case is encouraged to call Pasadena Police at (626) 744-4241 or you may report information anonymously by calling “Crime Stoppers” by dialing (800) 222-TIPS (8477).

As difficult as these past few days have been for our community, on this Thanksgiving holiday, let us keep the victims of these and all incidents of violence in our hearts, and let us be present in the moment with our family and loved ones.