Stay out of the runners’ way

Keshawn Brooks, 15, was killed on his way home after older teen grabbed his backpack outside a Long Beach middle school.

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A 15-year-old boy was stabbed to death outside a Long Beach middle school by an older teen trying to wrestle away the student’s backpack, police say.

Keshawn Brooks was walking home about 3:30 p.m. Thursday near Stephens Middle School when the attacker grabbed his backpack, then stabbed him, Long Beach Police Chief Robert Luna said.

Several passersby ran to help Brooks, a student at Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo High School, and stayed at his side until emergency crews arrived and rushed him to a hospital, where he later died.

“It’s a dark night for us in the city,” said Vice Mayor Suja Lowenthal, flanked by Brooks’ family.

“Incidents like this can shatter our sense of community and safety, and we must work together to rebuild,” she said.

After interviewing witnesses, police arrested Giovanny Montelongo, 18, on suspicion of murder.

Luna said investigators are continuing to examine the case and asked community members who may have witnessed the stabbing to come forward.

“We want a complete picture of what happened,” Luna said.

Keshawn’s father, Keeyon Layton, said the family was grieving over the loss.

“My son was not a gang member,” he said. “He did not deserve this.”

At Stephens Middle School on Friday, parents said they felt devastated by what had happened.

“It shouldn’t have happened,” Maggie Torres said as she dropped her daughter off at school. “I feel sorry for his parents and their loss.”

Torres said the neighborhood is peaceful and familyoriented.

A long row of single-story homes faces the middle school, and there’s an empty lot at the corner of Santa Fe Avenue and Columbia Avenue where parents and neighbors said the stabbing took place.

Standing by the lot, near a light pole with police tape tied to it, Beatriz Ramos said she sympathized with the parents of both the victim and the suspect.

“So much loss,” she said. “It’s very sad.”

Neighbors in the area said workers at a small barbershop adjacent to the lot tried to help the young teen.

Inside the shop early Friday, barbers stood quietly, trimming hair.

One of the barbers downplayed their efforts to help.

“He still died.”

Photographs by Francine Orr Los Angeles Times PAUL ROJAS of Los Angeles places flowers near where a teen was killed. Rojas said he has six sons. ““It breaks my heart,” he said.

IN LONG BEACH , police vehicles park outside Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo High School, where Keshawn Brooks was a student. An 18-year-old was arrested in Keshawn’s death, and police are seeking more witnesses.