Compton family holds vigil for 9-year-old killed in shooting

A Compton family is mourning the loss of a 9-year-old boy whose loved ones say he was shot and killed on Saturday evening.

At a Sunday evening vigil, family members say Princeton Jones was playing outside his grandfather’s home located at the intersection of Haskins Avenue and Alondra Boulevard when he was shot around 7:40 p.m.

Details are limited, officials have not released or confirmed any information on the case, but the boy’s family says they are searching for answers as the investigation continues.

“We don’t know any information,” said Najee Ali, director of Project of Islamic Hope, at the Sunday evening vigil. “But what we do know, was that he was a 9-year-old innocent child who never should’ve been shot down in cold blood.” 

Police did not immediately say if there were any leads on a suspect, a suspect vehicle, or whether this incident was believed to be gang-related.

“There used to be a time where women and children were off limits to murder and gang violence,” Ali told KTLA’s Carlos Saucedo. “Unfortunately, those days are long gone.”

Community members and Princeton’s family were rallying on Sunday night during the vigil, calling for an end to gun violence and saying no child should ever be a target.

“Born in 2015, Princeton was a truly special young man with a brilliant mind and a warm heart,” states the boy’s family members in a GoFundMe page description. “Diagnosed with mild autism at the age of 2, Princeton worked tirelessly with the loving support of his mother and began speaking fluently by the age of 5.”

Family members say they set up the GoFundMe page to help with funeral expenses and to ensure that “Princeton is honored and remembered in a way that reflects the love and joy he brought into this world.”

For those looking to donate or share the page, click here to visit the family’s GoFundMe.