NATIONAL CITY, Calif. — A 12-year-old boy was killed and four other teenagers were wounded in a shooting at an abandoned house party in National City on Friday night. The incident occurred at a property on N Avenue, where illegal gatherings have been a recurring issue.
National City Police are calling for witnesses to come forward with any information about the shooting. The victim has been identified as Elijah Smith, whose family is pleading for cooperation from the community.
"If your kids who were at the party know anything, please encourage them," Oakley Smith, Elijah's older sister, said. "Any little detail that they know can help us."
The property, which includes two abandoned houses, has been the site of previous unauthorized parties. Photos taken a week before the shooting show hundreds of teenagers and young adults gathered at the location. National City Police said officer had been called to the property about six times over the past two years.
Both houses are owned by Big Hill OZ LLC, with an address linked to Silvergate Development in San Diego. The company did not respond to requests for comment.
Ralph Bellamy, a worker hired by the owners who had previously boarded up the houses, told CBS 8 that teenagers repeatedly break in despite efforts to secure the property.
"I try not to picture what went on, but I can see with all the blood and so forth in there that something took place. But I try not to worry about that and just go in and do my job," Bellamy said.
"You could tell they've been in their partying for a while" Bellamy said, describing the extensive damage to the property. "And, you know, there's lots of blood, lot of broken windows, and it's a mess in there."
In the wake of the tragedy, Oakley Smith made an impassioned plea to the community.
"Guns are not the choice," she said. "They're not the choice in any matter. They make things worse every single time. For every family that's gone through this and had to lose someone, guns are not it. So stop using guns, please."
National City Police believe there were hundreds of teenagers at the party and that there are witnesses who have not yet come forward. They also suspect there may be video footage of the shooting that has not been shared with authorities.
Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact the National City Police Department.