Gang raids conducted in area where 2 kids were shot in San Bernardino

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (KABC) -- Authorities conducted a series of gang sweeps Friday in the neighborhood where a suspected drive-by shooting left a 12-year-old dead and a 14-year-old injured in San Bernardino.

Gang and SWAT officers swept through apartments in a neighborhood near 20th Street. Search warrants were issued in relation to recent gang activity. Paraphernalia was recovered from the apartments as officers went looking for known gang members.

Jason Spears was shot and killed over the weekend while walking with two cousins to a convenience store. One of his cousins, Terrance Spears, was also hit, but suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Authorities would not say if the sweep or any arrests made during the raids were connected to the murder investigation.

Residents in the area said they were glad to see something was being done, especially after it took emergency personnel eight minutes to respond to the shooting when a fire station is located across the street.

At a growing memorial for the sixth grader, Spears' physical education teacher Eric Abrams stopped by. He said of the 900 children he teaches at the elementary school, Spears stood out.

"The kid always had a smile. He was always at school. I mean no matter what anybody tries to say about this kid - this kid was a good kid," he said.

Surrounding the memorial, the community sent a message to stop the violence, calling out gang members as domestic terrorists.