Christopher Andrew Flores, 17

Sept. 24, 2012

Christopher Andrew Flores, a 17-year-old Latino, was shot and killed Monday, Sept. 24, in the 38100 block of Boxthorn Street in Palmdale, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

An apparent feud between families led to the shooting death of Christopher Flores, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement.

Deputies responding to a call about an assault with a deadly weapon found the male teenager with multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at a hospital.

After the incident, Victor Flores, a 36-year-old Latino, was booked on suspicion of murder at the Palmdale sheriff’s station.

He is being held in lieu of $2.205-million bail at the North County Correctional Facility in Castaic. His next court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 15.

Anyone with more information about the shooting is asked to contact the L.A. County sheriff's homicide bureau at (323) 890-5500. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477.

-- Los Angeles Times

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39 reader comments

So, Victor Flores didn't serve his time even though he pumped seven bullets into Chris, which is a ton of bullets if you consider that there was only one house between Victor Flores and Christopher Flores' house. I guess Victor's lawyer did some magic for a man who murdered my student of four years and you sure sound like you know what your talking about and as sorry as I was for Victor Flores losing his job that day and sitting on a lawn chair in front of his house drunk and still drinking with a pistol in his lap, confronting Christopher Flores who was an identical twin to Michael Flores, and Michael had treated Victor Flores' daughter disrespectfully, hang on to your gang banging allegations. No matter what the lawyer says, he is guilty. Thanks for letting me know.

— Carol Smith June 6, 2021 at 11:41 p.m.

I am the teacher from Knight HS who was there for Chris's memorial or Rosary. His murder by Victor Flores had nothing to do with gang banging. I led the service. Christopher had an identical twin named Michael. What I learned was that Michael had disrespected Victor Flores daughter. When Chris got home, Michael told him that Victor Flores had lost his job that day and he was sitting on a chair on his front lawn drinking and holding a gun. I don't much care for some of these comments because they are ignorant and not the truth. Chris was a peacemaker so he decided to calm the waters for Victor Flores. Michael and Chris were identical identical twins. I believe that Victor Flores mistook Chris for Michael and he shot Chris once, Chris got up and Victor shot him again. There was one house between Victor Flores and Chris's house but Victor Flores shot him seven times and the last shot was to Chris's head and in front of his mom's house. The women who lived on Chris's cul-de-sac scraped his blood off the street where Victor Flores had shot him. I was his teacher for four years and this had NOTHING to do with gangster activity. I read your comments about Chris Flores and I wonder why you are at this site talking about this and that and giving your two cents about my student. Chris was a remarkable young man. I was there holding forth without any cameras on me because I was there for the students who loved Chris.

— Carol Smith June 6, 2021 at 11:09 p.m.

I knew Chris. He was a great kid and he contributed to my CAHSEE English classes by telling me about the Buford High young adult series. He told me to get the books because my students would love them AND THEY DID! I believe that every CAHSEE student of mine passed that CAHSEE test because they finally loved to read, all because of Chris Flores. I met Chris in my 9th grade Read 180 class and I also met Carlos Villamar. I will never forget them because they made an immediate impression on me. I will tell you the truth: I loved most of my students and they know this. It's just too bad that Mr. Laird and Matt Berryman couldn't do what they needed to do BY LAW. I never came out as having manic depression or Bipolar I disorder because I was born with it and I learned how to mask it and hide it for fear people would find out. That Tuesday morning, the morning after Chris was murdered, I had over 90 kids in my homeroom! I had no idea why until a student I didn't know called me over asked me, "Ms. Smith. What does RIP Chris Flores mean?" I was in shock when I called Mr. Laird's office and I asked Teri Gioconne if there was anything wrong with Chris Flores and her immediate reply was, "NOT THAT I KNOW OF." Matt Berryman wouldn't give his okay for my classes to have some kind of sad celebration so I pissed the entire administration off by having my own and the students who were there mourned their much beloved fellow student. I have a mental illness and once Berryman and Laird and Mark Bryan found out about me, well they treated me the same way they treated my students and it was CRIMINAL. They got rid of me overnight by sending me to Littlerock High school just in time for me to see my first grade students from Antelope Elementary at Keppel Union graduate from Littlerock HS. And that was the end of my teaching career. Since Mr. Laird was responsible for sending out a global email alerting his staff to Christopher's death and he "forgot" to do this, I had the worst and longest manic episode in my life and spent lots of my new found retirement time in and out of scary psychiatric hospitals. I wasn't the only teacher that loved Chris and Carlos and all the rest so I can't even imagine what they went through but I am calling Pete Knight High School on Mr. Laird who caused me irreparable harm, depression, loss and Mr Laird, you did it on purpose. You took me away from the students I loved, and Christopher Andrew Flores was MY NUMBER ONE STUDENT all because of your insane idea of who gets to forgive GOD DOES because you MR LAIRD COULD NOT DO THE MOST BASIC CHRISTIAN DUTY and forgive Chris for whatever but you took me to hell and I had to crawl out myself. Goodness gracious, Teri Giocone! You lied when you said you hadn't heard anything about CHRIS. Barbara White are you still claiming to be a Christian? ALL OF YOU CHRISTIAN KNIGHT HIGH LEADERS KNEW THAT CHRIS WAS DEAD THE DAY HE WAS MURDERED.

— Carol Smith June 6, 2021 at 9:37 p.m.

I had the great fortune of meeting Chris and having him in my ninth grade English class. He was rough around the edges, but he mellowed. Chris was a peacemaker, although the Administration at that time would disagree. They never got the chance to know Chris. I did. He came back and saw me when he was in 12th grade. He told me to get a series of books for my CAHSEE prep kids called, "The Buford High Series." Chris told me these were the books that would really make my CAHSEE kids WANT to read and he was spot on. Chris was murdered on Monday. By Tuesday, news of his death spread throughout Knight High School via student cell phones. I learned of his death from a student that I didn't know. There was no global email to prepare the staff at Knight for what we all had to face. The loss of a wonderful kid. Oh, yes. He was a gang banger. He got out and brought people with him. Yes he was in juvie twice. But how many kids that go to Juvenile Hall wind up teaching the younger kids how to read? Chris did. On Tuesday night, there was a candlelight Vigil for Chris. Over 400 people showed up to honor a student of mine who made a difference; Christopher Andrew Flores.

— Ms. Carol Smith March 23, 2016 at 11:12 p.m.

I am torn regarding this case. I knew Chris and, from what I saw, he was a nice kid with a troubled past trying to change his ways. He was unarmed and gunned down in his driveway. On the other hand i have been the victim of abuse by neighbors. I've called the police a plethora of times and they did absolutely nothing until my abusive neighbors held me at knife point and cut me up while high on crystal meth. I didn't hear from the D.A until after they offered a sweet plea bargain of 6 months. This made me look up the laws regarding self defense which are ridiculous since after using self defense you are arrested and have to defend your right of using self defense.

According to self defense laws Mr.Flores is guilty.
If the police had done something in the first place this incident would not have happened. I believe the guilty ones here are the police and the L.A County Sheriff dept.

— Jessica July 21, 2013 at 7:24 p.m.

— Meck, i lived in Boyle Heights in the late 80s thru the early 90s and the homicide rate was higher than it is today. I lived on Breed Street where many of my neighbors my age join Breed Street Gang. Unlike you and Syscom3 I was able to help some of these guys leave the gang life style behind by simply assisting them on getting ligitimate jobs. Some went back to the gang life style and others walked away from it. If that makes me an enabler or sympathizer than I guess I am. Let me clear I don't support crime in particular murderers. I happened to see the human side of these gangsters and some actually are good hearted people who get pulled into the gang life style due to peer pressure, broken family, protection, make money illegally and many more. I hate to burst your buble, but as Syscom3 claims I sleep pretty comfortable at night and I can take a walk my neighborhood at anytime without having to worry about getting robbed or killed. By comparison my neighborhood is better than Downey if you must know.

— Jag Jan. 3, 2013 at 10:08 a.m.

I myself live right next to the incident … and after I seen this and have known more about this situation , I think I would of done the same ever since this incident occurred > I have bought myself a big toy (GUN) with a permit and everything , I am not going to let this wanna b thugs terrorized my community or my Family so , If I feel that my Family and I, are in danger … I will sure use it and won’t think about it twice , so if they even try to step in my property and start trouble they better think about it… cause I won’t hesitate < on using it. Think before you go looking for trouble and for all those neighbors that live around here should do the same out of protection . We can't be letting this thugs terrorize our community or other neighbors (Neighborhood Watch) This kids are no ANGELS … I'm a neighbor I know … And I personally spoke a couple of times with Mr Flores … and this Man is a good Man what ever lead Mr. Flores to do this he had enough already … Mr. Flores felt he was in danger to see this kid walking towards his house with the brother walking in the back … Is easy for people to say call the cops , The cops we're called many times but never did nothing. So < If I see this happening I wouldn't have any choice either but to do the same as Mr. Flores , I hope justice is serve and Mr Flores can walk back in the streets as a FREE MAN again. What ever he did, it was in self-defense and out protection towards his Family. Is tough but we need to accept it Christopher Flores was NOT a good kid … Maybe he was to his Family and Fellow Friends but not to the Neighbors. Right know is a little calm, and as a Concern Neighbor I hope it stays that way.

— concern neighbor Dec. 22, 2012 at 4:09 p.m.

Well Apple, Christopher was robbed of his potential, shot down before he reached his prime gangsta years. He was only an apprentice gangsta, a trainee, so to speak. As you can see from the above, he was successful in terrorizing little kids and 14 year old girls, but his real dream was to terrorize older adult males. We think he was too impatient, to eager to advance. We counciled patience, but nothing could hold Chris back. Yes, he had the gangsta clothes and mannerisms down pat, he liked rap, but he just didn't have that "it" that would make him a good gansta. Not yet anyways. This is going to look bad on our report. At least his mother has good memories of trashing the neighbor's house with him. She blames us. Wants to know where WE went wrong. We told her, you don't commit crimes with your male kids after the age of 12, it slows down their growth, but she still blames us. Look, it's not like we're working with Harvard material here. Hell, I'm surprised the kid made it out of elementary school. The bottom line - The kid screwed up. But we'll take the blame. You win some, you lose some. But like all of his homies, we will never forget Chris. At least for 7 or 8 months. RIP Chris. You died too young.

Yours Truly,

Gangsta University
(Not yet Accredited)

— Richie Dec. 22, 2012 at 2:20 p.m.

@Cholo ... I'm sorry to tell you this , but your Friend was NOT a good kid, this kid went looking for trouble, and found it. This kid will wait with all his "Homies" outside the house of Victor Flores while he was at work , they will terrorized his smaller children they also jumped, his 14 year old Daughter, this kid along with his Mother went to Mr. Flores house and destroyed certain things around his house, That is the reason why Mr. Flores went out of his way and wasted a lot of money, installing cameras all over his house , the Wife had called the Police many times but Police never did anything regarding this. This kid bothered this Family for a whole year and , this kid was up to no good, he went to this Man's house trying to intimidate his Family and for his surprise this is what he found himself with. You gangsters need to watch out who you trying to intimidate cause you can be up for a big surprise.

Christopher Andrew Flores and Victor Flores are not related , they just have the same last name this two we're both Neighbors .

— Albert J Dec. 18, 2012 at 11:27 p.m.