A 13-year-old boy was struck and killed by what is believed to be a stray bullet on Saturday evening, according to the Pasadena Police Department.
The boy, identified by family members as Iran Moreno Balvaneda, was shot at about 6:12 p.m. while he was playing video games in his bedroom in the 900 block of Raymond Avenue, police said.
Balvaneda’s family, who were at home at the time of the shooting, found him and called for help.
Police arrived and immediately began life-saving measures on the unresponsive Balvaneda, authorities said. Paramedics then took him to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Police believe neither Balvaneda nor anyone else inside the home was the intended target, but said they were still working to confirm that hunch. So far, there is no information on a suspect or a motive.
Authorities on Sunday said detectives were working to identify the intended targets of the shooting. Police said it was still unclear whether the incident was gang-related or a drive-by shooting, but they are hoping that video can help with the investigation.
“We’re looking at all the available video that we have. There’s so much we have to look at because there are hours and hours of video, and we just don’t look at the time it occurred,” Pasadena Police Chief John Perez said Sunday.
Perez described Balvaneda as a “straight-A” student who was innocent.
“It’s an absolute tragedy for our community,” Perez told the Pasadena Star-News on Saturday. “He was doing what 13-year-olds do, playing video games in his house.”
No further details were available.
Anyone with information about this incident is urged to call Pasadena Police at 626-744-4241. Those who wish to remain anonymous can call “Crime Stoppers” at 800-222-TIPS (8477), or visit lacrimestoppers.com.
The family has also set up a GoFundMe.
