A 12-year-old boy was killed, and a 14-year-old girl was wounded in a drive-by shooting in Long Beach Tuesday evening that has devastated the community.

Officers were dispatched to the 2200 block of Lewis Avenue around 11:30 p.m. where they found three victims, all under the age of 18.

Investigators say the children were walking on the sidewalk when they were approached by a vehicle with at least two males inside who opened fire on them. It was unknown how many suspects fired shots, authorities said.

Long Beach drive-by
Officers were dispatched to the 2200 block of Lewis Avenue around 11:30 p.m. where they found three victims, all under the age of 18. May 9, 2023. (LBCODE3MEDIA)

The 12-year-old victim, identified as Eric Gregory Brown III of Long Beach, suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the upper body and died at a hospital.

The 14-year-old girl had a non-life-threatening injury to the lower body, and a 13-year-old female victim was uninjured, Long Beach Police said in a news release.

“The shooting that took place last night is devastating. A young boy’s life has been cut short due to an intolerable act of gun violence,” Long Beach Police Chief Wally Hebeish said in a statement. “While we mourn this loss as a community, our officers will not stop working to locate and arrest those responsible for this tragedy.”

Police did not provide a description of the suspect vehicle.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Homicide Detectives Michael Hubbard or Jesus Espinoza at (562) 570-7244. Anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling “LA Crime Stoppers” at 800-222-TIPS (8477), downloading the “P3 Tips” app to your smartphone, or visiting www.lacrimestoppers.org.