Culver City leaders denounce gun violence after vigil for teen killed ends in gunfire

CULVER CITY, Calif. (KABC) -- A 17-year-old Culver City High School graduate who was preparing to start college this fall was fatally shot last week while picking up his sibling from a pool party in Torrance, authorities said.

Chyler Paton, who planned to study criminal justice and pursue a career in law, was killed the night of June 18 in the driveway of a Torrance home. Police have not yet identified a suspect in the case.

"First thing I want to do is extend my heartfelt sympathy to Chyler's family, his friends, all the students who were impacted by this tragic death. We are here for you and want to wrap our arms around you," Culver City Mayor Dan O'Brien said.

On Tuesday night, a vigil for Paton held on the Culver City High School football field - where he once played as a running back - ended in violence.

"Our officers confirmed that a fight had occurred during the event, which then led to a shooting," Culver City Police Department Chief Jason Sims said. "At the time, an estimated 200 to 300 people were attending a vigil on the high school football field for a student who was tragically murdered in the city of Torrance last week."

No one was injured in the shooting. Authorities have not said whether it is connected to Paton's death.

On Wednesday, school and city leaders gathered to denounce the violence and to call for the creation of a youth violence prevention program aimed at early intervention.

"We must act now to implement stronger intervention systems, elevate community-based violence prevention, and provide young people with the resources and support they need before a crisis occurs," said Triston Ezidore, the Culver City Unified school board president.

Paton's family told Eyewitness News they are devastated and are pleading with the public for witnesses to come forward with what they know.

"We owe it to Chyler, we owe it to every student walking into summer school this morning, we owe it to our community to build something better," Ezidore said.

A GoFundMe account has been set up for Paton's family.