Community Mourns Loss of Eric Washington Following Deadly Fourth of July Weekend Shooting in Compton

LOS ANGELES — Family members and neighbors gathered outside the Watts Civic Center to remember Eric Washington, a community worker killed during a Fourth of July gathering in Compton whose career connected residents with public officials, housing resources and opportunities for young people.

Nearly 100 mourners stood in a circle, holding candles and embracing one another. Washington’s mother, brother and sisters joined the gathering as friends described the encouragement and practical help he offered. The loss reached beyond his family to people who knew him through years of work in Watts and surrounding communities.

Washington, 37, was killed July 4. Authorities investigated his death separately from another shooting that killed 19-year-old Meah Bordenave-Jenkins and wounded two teenage girls nearby. A third fatal shooting in Compton during the holiday weekend occurred July 5, according to the city’s July 16 update.

Those distinctions matter: The victims did not all die in one shooting, and a criminal case arising from Bordenave-Jenkins’ death does not establish who killed Washington. His family’s demand for answers continued after the immediate mourning period.

A career rooted in community service

Assemblymember Mike Gipson, D-Carson, identified Washington as a former member of his staff in a July 8 statement. Gipson described a public servant who mentored young people and worked to create opportunities for residents. Washington also worked with former Los Angeles City Councilmember Joe Buscaino and the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles.

His work included the Watts Rising initiative, connecting neighborhood residents with information and resources. Gipson’s tribute traced Washington’s education through Compton College, the University of North Texas and Grambling State University, and noted his membership in Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. Those experiences accompanied a career focused on the communities where he built relationships.

At the Watts vigil, a woman who worked alongside Washington at HACLA credited him with encouraging her pursuit of a master’s degree in public administration. She described receiving praise from a professor shortly before she learned of his death and linked her approach to community work to conversations with Washington.

“He pushed me to believe I could do more,” she said. “A lot of what I bring into my work and education came from Eric.”

An older Latina woman held a handmade poster filled with photographs of herself and Washington at community events. Others comforted her as she cried. The photographs documented the everyday encounters that made Washington’s work personal to residents, beyond the offices and organizations he represented.

Speakers at the vigil returned to his ability to recognize potential in others. Family members shared memories of the son and brother behind his public work.

Recognition continued after his death

The Los Angeles Rams recognized Washington posthumously as their fourth “pLAymaker” of 2026. In an Aug. 28 tribute, the team described his participation in weekly Watts Gang Task Force calls, where public agencies, nonprofit organizations and neighborhood leaders exchanged information. Washington represented the housing authority at those meetings.

Marc Maye, general manager of the Watts Rams and CEO of Project Blue, told the team Washington listened to residents and worked with young people. Maye also described a memorial service attended by more than 1,000 people, including public officials and people Washington had mentored. That service was separate from the gathering outside the Watts Civic Center.

Investigations involve separate victims

Antoine Jones, 54, pleaded not guilty July 17 to charges including murder in Bordenave-Jenkins’ death, attempted murder involving two girls and possession of a firearm by a felon, MyNewsLA reported. Washington’s killing remained a separate investigation in that report. Charges are allegations; Jones’ plea did not resolve either the facts of that prosecution or Washington’s case.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors’ Sept. 15 agenda included Supervisor Holly Mitchell’s motion seeking a $10,000 reward in Washington’s killing. Los Angeles city officials later approved a separate $50,000 offer, MyNewsLA reported Sept. 29. The report also identified county and Compton rewards of $10,000 each.

For the people who gathered in Watts, Washington’s legacy was visible in relationships: a colleague continuing her education, residents who trusted him to listen and young people he encouraged. Preserving that work means carrying forward the opportunities he helped create while seeking a clear, accountable answer about the violence that ended his life.