This week's featured reader comments

This week we look at comments that address gang violence, a sadly common theme on the Homicide Report. 

Nicole Santa Cruz recently wrote about David Davon Matthewis, who was 23 when he was gunned down in Compton in May. His mother, Jessie Guidry-Acquah, says she tells young men she sees to be careful about their dress, about the colors they wear. Reader 7.62 responded:

I agree with this mom's advice, appearance is everything don't matter what race you are, gangs are a different breed these days if you look a certain way they'll assume your a rival gang member and pop you, it's not like before when@least they would ask what gang you claim, a few times I was asked what gang I was from made me rethink the way I dressed back in my high school days, I wasn't a gang member, but I did like wearing bagging clothes, now when I run into gang members in the area they never look my way or ask what gang I claim, why, because I changed my appearance, it goes a long way, I warn people don't try to look like these foo's on the streets it can get you killed.

And reader Oscar de la Torre writes about seeing the grave of 17-year-old Michal Blom, killed in gang violence in October 2012 in Hawthorne:

RIP Mchael: I visited the Woodlawn Cemetary for Day of the Dead and sat close by your resting place. I noticed it was your birthday. You died for an illusion but you are not alone. Many more youth are caught in the web of lies and false identities. I wish you would have lived long enough to understand.

-- Matt Ballinger