Family and teammates mourn boy with a 'heart of a lion'

Dozens of 7- and 8-year-olds lined up at a Compton park on Wednesday evening, their destination a small, purple and yellow jersey on a picnic table lighted by yellow candles.

One by one, each child and various friends and family signed his or her name on the Compton Vikings jersey in memory of their teammate and friend, 7-year-old Taalib Pecantte, who died Tuesday after being shot in the back the day before.

On Monday night, Taalib and his mother were visiting a friend in Mid-City when a white car pulled up alongside their vehicle and as many as four men opened fire. Taalib’s mother and a 31-year-old man survived with graze wounds.

Detectives are looking for a motive, but Los Angeles Police Department Det. John Skaggs said the crime fit “the similarities of gang activity.”

On Wednesday night, investigators canvassed the neighborhood for witnesses, while Taalib’s teammates, family and friends gathered at Gonzales Park to mourn.

Taalib’s father, Rich, had signed the second-grader up for the youth football league to keep him out of trouble.

“He always talked about how he wanted his son in a better situation,” said head coach Damon Fields, 41.

Taalib’s father, who is also a coach, told the crowd that even though his son was gone, he’d continue to volunteer. He said he’s “torn up” but issued a call for change.

He also spoke directly to his son’s killers: “Look who you affected ... these babies.”

Iola Green, whose 8-year-old son is on the team, said that when she told him that Taalib was gone, he immediately asked who did it and why.

“I just explained to him that there are evil people in the world,” she said.

Hurton Jackson, 8, said he would miss playing with his friend, whom he called talented and funny.

Taalib’s sister, Morgan Pecantte, 16, said her younger brother had an affinity for Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and loved to play video games. She said she would miss her brother “just being himself.”

Fields said Taalib is the second Compton youth player he’s seen killed in his 15 years of coaching. A teenage boy was shot to death in 2006.

Taalib was a happy child who displayed potential as a player, Fields said. He’d show up with a different-colored mohawk each week, and sometimes, during games, a song would come on and the boy couldn’t keep himself from dancing.

“He was one of the smaller kids, but he had the heart of a lion.”

-- Nicole Santa Cruz and Joseph Serna

Photo: Teammates and coaches of 7-year-old Taalib Pecantte sign his Compton Vikings football jersey at Gonzales Park in Compton. Credit: Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times