Travion Toler, 20

May 17, 2010, 9:29 a.m.

Travion Toler, a 20-year-old black man, was shot and killed Sunday, May 16, near Lime Avenue and 20th Street in Long Beach, according to Los Angeles County coroner's records.

Officers responded to a report of gunfire about 2:30 a.m., according to a Long Beach Police Department news release.

When police arrived, they found Toler with multiple gunshot wounds to the upper torso.

Toler was taken by paramedics to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 3 a.m., according to coroner's records.

Investigators believe the shooting was gang-related.

Anyone with information about the death of Travion Toler is asked to contact Long Beach homicide Dets. Teryl Hubert or Patrick O'Dowd at (562) 570-7244.

-- Sarah Ardalani

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44 reader comments

keepin it real: Sir, I am still wondering two things about your post. First, can you explain to me why it is so terribly difficult to move out of a bad area into a safer one? I myself have managed it numerous times. It's called save a few bucks, pick out a new place to go, pack up your stuff, and go. There are many places in this great country of ours that are safer and cheaper and with lower unemployment rates than inner city LA. I think it's borderline child abuse to raise a child, particularly a minority child, in these terrible hell holes. Second question if I may: just what is it that you are insinuating when you say "it's not an accident that most of the violence is predominately in the inner city"? You can speak freely here; you are among friends and for the record I do enjoy your posts.

— Citizenjohn Nov. 12, 2010 at 11:41 a.m.

Citizenjohn I agree with in on certain points. When you say why not focus on school that's a valid point; however you have to keep in mind the kids mind set. I'm not saying it can't be done but sometimes the dynamics of the community makes it difficult. I'm all for education by any means necessary but you also have to keep in mind that most schools in the inner city are deplorable. As for folks being comfortable with violence, that's way off base. If one could do anything to escape this environment believe me most would; however economics plays a huge part. Most live in the inner city because that's where they can afford to live at. Do you really think one would live in a violent culture because they are comfortable, come on. When you say a large portion of people in the inner city don't work, rely on government handouts, don't take care of their kids, and have gotten use to the way of life is way off base also. You do have some that think and act that way but for the most part people want to work, raise their kids in a stable community, and live in a non violent community. I live in the inner city myself and I'm connected with my community. This is something I witness on an every day basis, not something the media is reporting. Emphasis has always been put on education in the inner city; however when you are surrounded by violence, death, drugs, a poor school system, and kids who have lost hope it's hard to stay focus. Some make it, some don't. I try to do my part by being a positive role model and influence them to overcome the odds. I'm a very positive person by the way. I've seen and been part of it all. I'm not here just writing about making positive changes I’m actually in my community trying to make a difference. When I say it's not an accident that most of the violence is predominately in the inner city you can come up with any opinion you want to as to why I made that comment. The numbers don't lie.

— keepin it real Nov. 11, 2010 at 7:30 p.m.

I believe the reason most of the killings and gang violence is coming from the inner city is because many/most of the folks living in the really rotten areas identify with and are more or less comfortable with this violent criminal culture. A large proportion of them don't work, rely on government handouts, don't take care of their children, and have gotten used to that way of life. It's pathetic actually because there really is nothing holding them there but their own lack of motivation and ambition. Your story sounded pretty good by the way, but when you say: "When you grow up and your surrounded by gangs and drugs you tend to gravitate towards the streets because that's all that is there.", I just have to ask you, what about focusing on school? Every single child in this country has access to a free education and there's plenty to learn and keep a kid busy. Why is it that certain communities/cultures put such little importance on education? Is it some vast conspiracy designed to ruin the lives of inner city minorities as you seem to be insinuating in your post? Or...maybe it all boils down to garbage culture and crappy parenting. BTW, I'm not sure if you're aware of it, but 'keepin it real' has certain cultural overtones which aren't positive either.

— Citizenjohn Nov. 9, 2010 at 10:18 a.m.

Brougham if a kid is brought up and is never taught right from wrong who do you place the blame on? It has to be his upbringing. A good parent teaches the kids right from wrong and set limits. Then it's up to that kid to make a choice. You are gonna have some kids who make the wrong choices in life no matter how they were raised; however most kids are gonna fall back on there positive upbringing and stay away from the negative. When I stated God died for our sin I was trying to point out that we are sinners and no matter what type of sin we commit if we ask for forgiveness our sins will be forgiven because God died on the cross for our sins. Now that’s a loving God. You are right gang banging is wrong; however the way our society operates it's never gonna end. If you look at the dynamics of our society most of the killings and gang violence is coming from the inner city (the so call hood). Why is that? You should no the answer to that. I can tell you this it's not by accident. ONE!

— keepin it real Nov. 5, 2010 at 10:59 a.m.

Reading some on the comments in this blog is out right distasteful. As a young black man growing up in the so call hood it was very very hard. You are faced with so many adversities it's not even funny. Some make it out but the majority fall victim to the ghetto. If you are on the outside looking in you would never understand. If you are not a black man growing up in the hood you could never understand what we go through on a daily basis. I'm not here trying to through a pity party but the reality of it is, you are a product of your environment. Like I stated earlier some make it out, I did but there are so so so many of my peers that were not fortunate. You may say well you did it why couldn't your peers do it. It's not that easy. I'm still paying for some of the bad decisions I made while growing up in my hood. One bad decision could of cost me my freedom or my life like many of my peers. When you grow up and your surrounded by gangs and drugs you tend to gravitate towards the streets because that's all that is there. These are the friends you grew up with, played ball with. Even if you decide not to join the gang you are gonna have some ties with them. There's no way of getting around it. There are no jobs, parks, or other activities to occupy our time. What you see is what you get. This is a everyday thing. You feel trapped and often times give up because you can't see the light at the end of the tunnel. There are no real role models in our community. There are some but they are far and few. If you make it out your blessed. Most father and mother are drug addicts or in jail leaving the kids to pretty much raise there selves. Some work two or three jobs just to make ends meet. That means we as kids had to miss out on a proper parent upbringing. Some were raise by one parent families often time it was the mom trying to raise a man. They did their best, but a young boy needs a positive male role model in his life. Young men were not given a proper upbringing. So they join gangs or get involved in drugs. It's a cold cold reality. Sitting on this computer saying what you otta do, or should do, or could do is very easy but walk a mile in a black man shoes for a day and you can then understand the dynamics of life in the hood. As a child of God there's no one that deserves to die the way this young man died. Even if he was a gang member, he did not deserve to die. We are not living in the Old Testament were it was an eye for an eye. Were living in the New Testament were God died for our sins. We are all sinners and will sin until the day we die. There is no sin greater than the next. Every human being will be held accountable on judgment day. Only God can judge.

— keepin it real Nov. 1, 2010 at 11:34 p.m.

I totally agree with you, Citizenjohn. My parents taught me to make choices and accept the responsibility of them. I grew up dirt poor, not enough food, drunken father beating mother, etc. However, both taught us to obey the law! and to treat people as we wanted to be treated. It's basic Humanity 101, not Law Of The Jungle 101. We knew if we didn't obey our parents, there were consequences. I NEVER once even thought to disobey them. And I have always had a respect for the law. Too many parents are allowing their children to do whatever they want to. If I were a parent in LA, my child would NOT be going out at night without me, and if I had to handcuff them to their bed to keep them safe, I would do so! Children are setting the rules in the home rather than the parents. If parents don't care about their children, then the children should be removed from the home. We can set up homes for neglected children as we once had orphanages. In essence, that's what a lot of these children are: orphans! They have absent parents. The Latino and Black communites better start policing their own. That's what the white parents are expected to do, and they do it! Stop making excuses for your poor choies.

— Katie July 5, 2010 at 7:47 p.m.

Mr. Wolf: you make some very good points. It is true that if you raise a child poorly, with bad role models, no discipline etc, that you have a higher probability of that child turning bad. However, it is quite possible to properly raise a child even in a bad area and without much money. Many parents have done so and their children grow up to be responsible resourceful adults. Still there will always be those that don't put the effort in to do the job properly and so we end up with the gang scourge. The question becomes what to do about it. Some of us think the answer is to crack down hard on the ones that go bad irrespective of the cause. In other words, while we may be sympathetic to the tough upbringing a child may have had, we will not accept that as an excuse for engaging in criminal gang behavior. Bad is bad in the end and all of society pays the price. Better to stomp on these guys hard in every way possible to protect those who have not gone bad.

— Citizenjohn July 1, 2010 at 7:23 a.m.

@ syscom3
I dont even know if this is the right place to have this debate, because this blog is meant to share memories of Travion Toler, but since i see you commenting the same stuff all over the place i'll give it a shot.
White people in America were the first to have gangs. They invented it. Look up 5 Points, Roach Guards, the Bowery Boys and Dead Rabbits. Its said that they had the highest murder rate of any slum in the world. All white. Gangs have a long history in the US and it seems as if there is something nurturing the existance of gangs in all of history. People are a product of their environment and the choices they make resemble what they have learnt from that environment. Under bad circumstances much more people will make bad choices and sometimes they even have none. These Ghettos in the US are not a result of individual bad choices, that is a very poor excuse for a society that creates vast legions of impoverished people. Im white myself. I didnt grow up in the ghetto, but i grew up in a very dysfunctional home. I had a hard time struggling in life, got into trouble with the law and all that, but now im a college graduate. I made some right decisions and im proud of it. Many of my friends with the same background as me didnt take that path though. I can relate to the struggle of these people and i fully understand, that a dysfunctional environment creates dysfunctional people, no matter what choices they make. And people like you have the nerve to blame those people being put into this environment.
Its easy for you to say "he shouldnt have been out at night" or "he shouldnt have been friends with those people". All that tells me, that you know nothing about it and are just being judgemental from an outsiders perspective, who doesnt have the slightest clue what it means to have no good parenting, no economical choices, to grow up around violence and drugs, etc.
Yea there are bad guys that need to be locked away out there. But the average kid doesnt grow up with the dream of getting killed in a drive by.
Its not a problem of these communities, or a problem of blacks or latinos, its a problem of society as a whole and people like you refuse to acknowledge that. Im not even getting into racism, the economic devastation that was unleashed on many ghettos of SoCal in history creating these circumstances.
Your approach towards these things is very onesided and in my opinion part of the problem and not the solution.

— Mr. Wolf May 24, 2010 at 5:44 a.m.

Mr. Wolf, name one white area in the US that has a homicide rate like that in the black and latino dominated neighborhoods.

As for the lack of choices to be made; don't you think that is a self inflicted wound made by their elected leaders that they voted for? As I keep saying, the people there complain about no jobs, yet vote for "job killer" politicians. They complain about educational opportunities yet never hold their school boards accountable. And they complain about the collapse of public services, yet vote for politicians who seem intent in supporting the mass import of poorly educated illegal immigrants.

Nothing happens in a vacuum. And the facts are clear. These are self inflicted wounds made by the people who live there.

— syscom3 May 22, 2010 at 10:29 p.m.