Girl Killed after Football Game Mourned

Long Beach - A 16-year-old honors student, attending a high school football game in a "Supergirl" Halloween costume, was fatally shot on a Long Beach street Friday night, police said Saturday.

Melody Ross had attended the homecoming game at Wilson High School and was described by police as "an innocent bystander who was not involved" in the dispute that triggered shootings following the game.

Ross and two men were shot around 10 p.m. Friday night on Ximeno Avenue, next to Wilson's stadium, after the Friday night game. An 18-year-old and a 20-year-old man were also shot in the incident and both are expected to survive.

No arrests have been made in the case and police could not say if it was a gang-related shooting.

The Long Beach Unified School District said Ross was a junior at the school, where she ran on the track team and was an honors student enrolled advanced placement college classes. The district said it had extra security on duty Friday night at Wilson for the homecoming game with its crosstown archrival Long Beach Polytechnic High School.

Family members and friends gathered at the school campus on Saturday, and a makeshift memorial of balloons, votive candles and flowers grew. Ross had been a runner with Wislon's track team.

Long Beach City Councilman Gary DeLong said the two men were not students at either Wilson or Poly. The three shooting victims were taken to the hospital. where Ross died of her injuries.

Five to seven shots reportedly rang out as the crowd left the stadium after crosstown rival Long Beach Polytechnic had defeated Wilson, 34-15. After the shooting, police searched for evidence on the school's grounds near Ximeno Avenue.

"It's a horrific event," DeLong said, "and my heart goes out to the families."

The child's name was released by relatives, and confirmed by coroner's spokesman Lt. Joe Bale.

Police asked anyone who took photos or video at the game to contact detectives Scott Lasch or Malcolm Evans at (562) 570-7244.