New detection system alerts police to man’s fatal shooting

A man was shot and killed near a Pasadena apartment Monday night, with police alerted to the shooting by its new gunshot detection system, ShotSpotter.

It was the first fatal shooting in the city that police learned about from a ShotSpotter alert, according to Lt. William Grisafe, a Pasadena police spokesman. The victim was visiting someone at the apartment complex, he added.

Officers went to the 1700 block of North Fair Oaks Avenue after ShotSpotter notified police of gunshots at 8:42 p.m., Lt. Sean Dawkins said.

A caller also reported a gunshot victim was on a driveway, he added.

Eric Thomas, 28, of Pasadena died at the scene, said Sarah Ardalani, a spokeswoman for the coroner’s office.

Police didn’t know the motive behind the shooting. No one has been arrested yet.

In response to an increase in gun violence, the City Council approved in October a threeyear, $640,000 subscription to

ShotSpotter Inc.

Shotspotter, which was installed in a 3-square-mile area in northwest Pasadena, became operational on Feb. 9.

From Feb. 9 to May 2, ShotSpotter sent 29 alerts about gunshots or probable gunshots, Grisafe said.

Of those 29 alerts, he said eight were confirmed shootings. These include:

• A Feb. 13 alert at 2:12 a.m. Officers went to Hammond Street and Summit Avenue, searched and found evidence of a shooting. They didn’t find a victim.

• A Feb. 13 alert at 1:54 p.m. in the 1800 block of Navarro Avenue. A woman was cut by glass after someone shot at their car. Two other people in the car weren’t injured.

• A Feb. 23 alert at 6:56 a.m. in the 800 block of Earlham Street. A man in a parked car suffered minor injuries when a gunman shot at him.

• A Feb. 23 alert at 6:49 p.m. in the 700 block of Earlham Street. Police saw one parked car had been hit but didn’t find any victims or suspects. Police think this shooting is related to the earlier shooting also on Earlham Street.

• A Feb. 27 alert at 4:53 p.m. Officers found a gunshot victim in the 1300 block of North Fair Oaks Avenue.

• A March 3 alert at 10:20 a.m. in the 100 block of West Hammond Street. Police found evidence of a shooting but didn’t locate a victim.

• An April 29 alert at 3 a.m. in the 800 block of Lake Avenue. Officers didn’t find a victim but found a gun.

•A May 2 alert at 8:42p.m. in the 1700 block of North Fair Oaks Avenue. A gunshot victim was found dead at the scene.