Teen booked for murder in Long Beach homeless encampment shooting

LONG BEACH, Calif. (KESQ) - A 15-year-old boy has been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of a homeless man and the wounding of another man last year in Long Beach, police announced today.

The teen, a Long Beach resident, was taken into custody Thursday, according to the Long Beach Police Department. He was accused in the Nov. 24, 2024, shooting that killed 51-year-old Frank Suggs just before 2 a.m. in the 2600 block of East Ocean Boulevard.

Arriving officers found one man with non-life-threatening gunshot wounds to his upper body and located Suggs nearby with a gunshot wound near a homeless encampment, police said. Despite life-saving efforts by officers, Suggs was pronounced dead at the scene.

Paramedics transported the second victim to a hospital for treatment, police said.   

After a nearly six-month investigation, detectives identified the 15-year-old suspect and obtained a warrant for his arrest, police said.  

The teen -- who was processed at Long Beach City Jail and taken to Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall -- was booked for murder and held without bail, according to the department.

Detectives planned to present the case to the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office next week, police said.

The motive remained under investigation, according to police.   

Anyone with information was urged to contact Homicide Detectives Ethan Shear and Kelsey Myers at 562-570-7244 or Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.