15-year-old boy shot to death in South Gate; search underway for killer

SOUTH GATE, Calif. (KABC) -- Detectives are looking for a suspect after a 15-year-old boy was shot and killed in South Gate.

The deadly shooting happened Thursday around 9 p.m. on San Jose Avenue, just a block away from the teenager's home.

The victim, identified by his mother as Daniel Mejia, died a short time later.

"I lost my son. I lost my child. A 15-year-old kid," said Elisa Martinez.

Martinez says her son and another person were walking when someone approached them and asked them where they were from. He didn't answer and that's when the suspect pulled out a gun and shot him.

"Shot him once, went straight to the heart," Martinez said, adding that her son was beloved by his peers.

The victim's family says he wasn't a gang member.

A makeshift memorial has been growing at the scene since last week. Mejia's family is asking for the public's help in identifying the person who shot him.

"Be careful out there. There's so many things going on," Martinez said. "Let the community know, so we can catch this guy."

A GoFundMe page was set up to help Daniel's family as they cope with this tragedy.