Street vendor gunned down in Long Beach, possibly victim of gang crossfire

LONG BEACH, Calif. (KABC) -- Long Beach police are investigating the shooting death of a street corn vendor - a married father of two whose family believes he was not the intended target of the gunfire.

The shooting was reported Wednesday around 4 p.m. in the 100 block of East Eagle Street.

Officers found a man at the scene with life-threatening gunshot wounds. They provided medical aid at the scene and he was then transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The victim's wife identified him to Eyewitness News as 37-year-old Yener Ramirez. They were married 16 years and have a teenage son and a 1-year-old daughter.

A GoFundMe established to help his family says Yener was also nicknamed "The Corn Guy."

The fundraising page refers to him as a "Loving father working tirelessly days in order to provide for his family as a street vendor."

Yener's widow, Alma Cruz described him as a loving, hard-working father who came to this country from Guatemala about a decade ago. After being robbed at gunpoint in the past, he was getting tired of being a vendor and was hoping to find another line of work soon, she said.

The motive remains under investigation.

Detectives determined that several men had been in the area down the block when shots rang out. There is no indication they had any direct interaction with the vendor before the shooting. The men fled from the scene before officers showed up and a detailed description has not been disclosed.

Some witnesses believe Yener was an innocent victim caught in gang crossfire and that the real targets of the shooting were two customers at his vending cart.

Residents are mourning a man they say had been a regular fixture in the area, and say the shooting indicates the area has become more dangerous.

"Is it even safe for the kids to come out and play?" asked neighbor Lana Wick. "If a corn man can't sell corn, can kids even be on the street to just play and enjoy the sunlight?"