Vasquez says growing up in this part of Compton pretty much guarantees people will mess with you. Since then he's been in and out of prison, just finishing two years on drug and weapons charges. Doing the math you realize that means he was eight years old when he joined. For the last 20 years he's been a member of Compton Barrio Trace, the gang that runs this particular neighborhood. It might be some little youngster that probably just he's like trying to make a name for himself, let's go hit them.īURBANK: Vasquez knows what he's talking about. Yeah, because you're waiting for somebody to start pulling out a gun or you want to wait for somebody, especially here in Compton, you don't know. ALEX VASQUEZ (Resident, Compton): Yeah, it's a reflex. Really, the only thing that tips you off about his scarier side is a habit he has, one you'll see a lot of if you spend any time in Compton, of jerking his head around reflexively to scope out any car that even starts to come down his street. The 28-year-old with a shaved head wears a wry smile and an oversized hooded sweatshirt as he stands in front of the modest Compton duplex he and his family call home. In the first of two reports, NPR's Luke Burbank looks at some of the reasons why gang life is so entrenched in Compton.Īlex Vasquez actually comes off as a pretty nice guy. Investigators say almost all the killings were gang related. Last year the murder rate jumped by more than 70 percent. Just ten square miles perched on the southeast edge of Los Angeles, Compton is home to some 57 active gangs.ĪDAMS: That are seemingly getting more active.
Compton, California is a small city with a big reputation.
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