Eric Washington, a 37-year-old community organizer who devoted his life to preventing gun violence in Los Angeles, was shot and killed on July 4 while attending a block party in Compton, California. Also killed was Meah Bordenave-Jenkins, a 19-year-old aspiring nurse. The shooting has sent shockwaves through the community, highlighting the tragic irony that a man who worked tirelessly to reduce violence fell victim to it.
Washington's lifelong commitment to Compton
Born and raised in Compton, Washington was deeply rooted in the community. He worked with advocacy and violence prevention groups in Compton and nearby Watts. At the time of his death, he served as a community engagement manager for the city's housing authority, going door-to-door in low-income housing developments to ensure residents' needs were met. He also mentored local youth and leveraged his government connections to help violence intervention participants access jobs and support services.
Washington's work spanned multiple sectors, making his loss particularly profound. His mother, Tina Johnson, described him as the embodiment of coordinated efforts: “All these different organizations are all tentacles of one octopus. They all need to move in order for it to work. And I feel like Eric really embodied that.”
Reactions from officials and colleagues
California Assemblymember Mike Gipson, for whom Washington had worked as an aide, expressed dismay: “He tried everything possible to save Black and Brown boys in our community, especially against gun violence, and I am dismayed that what he fought against took his life.” Former Compton Councilmember Michelle Chambers, who knew Washington for a decade, said, “Eric did not deserve this. It's hard for us to come to grips with. He had such a huge prosperous life ahead of him. Even though he had reached some benchmarks of greatness, he was not done.”
The shooting and investigation
Washington was reportedly trying to de-escalate a conflict involving an armed man before he was shot. Authorities have not identified a suspect in his killing, but on July 17, the Los Angeles district attorney announced that a 54-year-old man had been charged with killing Bordenave-Jenkins and injuring two others. Chambers urged witnesses to come forward and criticized the city and sheriff's department for failing to enforce the fireworks ban and disperse the unsanctioned gathering. The city of Compton did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Washington's background and legacy
Washington briefly left Compton to earn a master's degree at Grambling State University in Louisiana before returning in 2019. He worked for the violence intervention group 2nd Call, reaching out to those most likely to be shot or shoot someone else, and later as a field deputy for Gipson. His mother, Johnson, grapples with conflicting feelings: “Why couldn't you just mind your own business? Why couldn't you just get in your car and leave? Why do you care if they have guns there?” But she acknowledged, “It was so important for Eric to reach back out to the boys and the girls of these communities and have them realize that there's opportunity here, that you can make your community better.”
Impact on the family
Johnson was in Texas when she learned her son had been shot. She recalled screaming uncontrollably. Before she could board a flight to Los Angeles, a doctor called to inform her that Washington had died. Now, she focuses on organizing his funeral, meeting with detectives, and ensuring Bordenave-Jenkins's story receives equal attention. Johnson stood alongside the teen's mother, Ebone Jenkins, during a press conference announcing the arrest. “Eric is leaving a great legacy behind. She didn't even have a chance to create one,” Johnson said of Bordenave-Jenkins.
Before his death, Washington had booked his mother a trip to the Bahamas for her birthday. She plans to go, despite fearing the quietness of the beach. “I'm afraid of just laying on the beach by some pretty water,” she said. “I'm scared of thinking about him all the time. Thinking about the fact that he's gone. Knowing that he'll never come back. That's scary.”
