Over 50 shots punctured the serenity of a Sunday afternoon at Peck Park in San Pedro this week, leaving eight people (four women and five men) wounded. Thirty-one-year-old Tashman “Taz” Williams and 29-year-old Carlyle Phillips both died from their injuries at the hospital.
Hundreds of people were reportedly gathered in the sprawling park, which features a swimming pool, baseball diamond, and hiking trails, among other public amenities. Initial headlines in the wake of the tragedy appeared to point fingers at an adjoining car show happening at Peck during the afternoon hour when shots were first fired (shortly before 4 PM), reportedly originating in the vicinity of the baseball diamond. Early police reports said the shooting was potentially gang-related.
An update from the AP suggests that the shooting occurred against the backdrop of a few events intended to promote peace in the community, notably a weekly softball game organized by local non-profits, including R.A.C.E. (Reclaiming America's Communities through Empowerment), to encourage dialogue and harmony between South L.A. street gangs.
Sunday’s game, which was reportedly organized between Crip sets in Compton, followed the death of Reynaldo Reaser, R.A.C.E.’s founder and executive director, in a car crash on the 405 Freeway in Carson in early June.
According to the report, the game or the gangs themselves didn’t play a role in sparking the shootings. However, a “dispute” between two individuals turned into a “gunfight that spilled over onto the softball diamond.”