In January following the Gable House shooting where three people died, my own father was assaulted in Del Amo mall. He was sitting down in one of the chairs by Spencers and Box Lunch looking at his phone when out of nowhere, he was slapped in the head by a group who had already been causing a commotion in the mall.

  Security had already been tailing them when one of them slapped my father, who stood up for himself, telling them that it was a good way to get themselves beaten up. Two people in the group, including the one who slapped him, tailed back to intimidate him, but he stood his ground. When one of them took a swing, my father defended himself and took down both of them. Security swarmed the scene as soon as it was over. My dad pressed charges when they brought him into the police station. Had the attack ended with my father beaten, it would have been a shock to Torrance.

  Even more shocking than the assault was the events that occurred during the afternoon of June 3rd when gunshots were fired in Del Amo Mall. The only information currently known is that a man was shot in the chest, but is expected to recover, and that the shooter was never caught. Although not much information is known, the residents of Torrance are shaken up in knowing that the shooter is still at large. However, not too long after, they found the gun near the Target close to the mall.

  In talking about the situation with many of the students of West, it has become clear that some were not very scared following the events in the mall. Jacey VanTimmerman (10) was asked if the event would influence her decisions regarding going outside and she simply stated, “No it did not really change anything for me.” Ethan Verderber (10) had a very similar mindset, saying, “ I am still going to go, just because something happens once doesn’t mean it will not happen again.” However it seems as though things have been getting worse around Torrance since the Gable House shooting.

    Del Amo Mall and Torrance seem to have become a new target for urban violence. After asking Dahlia Pacheco (12) if she believed that Torrance was becoming unsafe, she responded by saying, “I feel as though it is not as guaranteed a safe place as it used to be. Shootings have become a new reality for all over America.”

  Things may not be as safe as they may once have been, but perhaps in due time there will be a change.