Josh Kleinbaum
Authorities were still searching Tuesday for the shooter in an
incident early Sunday that left Thomas Johnson-Blasucci, a senior at
La Canada High School, in critical condition.
Johnson-Blasucci, a 6-foot-2, 240-pound lineman for La Canada High
School's football team, was shot in the face after a fight erupted at
a post-prom party. Doctors at Huntington Memorial Hospital operated
to remove all or part of the bullet on Monday, and the 18-year-old's
condition was upgraded Tuesday, according to students and
investigators.
At the family's request, hospital officials declined to comment on
Johnson-Blasucci's condition.
Meanwhile, detectives are interviewing witnesses at the party,
focusing on the fight Sunday between students from La Canada High and
South Pasadena High.
"The case is active and we're still working on it," Sgt. Victor
Ibarra said Tuesday. "We don't have any new information at this
time."
A 17-year-old senior, who asked not to be identified, said
detectives called her twice at home Monday, asking questions about
the party and the fight. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department,
which is looking into the shooting, continued the investigation at
the school Tuesday.
"They had a list [of students to question] that they were working
through that they put together over the weekend," Principal Michael
Leininger said. "Some [interviews] went very quick, just a few
minutes, others took a long time."
Four students who attended the party in the 5100 block of
Greencrest Road in La Canada Flintridge described the events, but
asked not to be identified for fear of retribution. The students
described the party as a large one that included students from
several area schools. They said parents were supervising the party
and alcohol was not provided, but many students brought their own
alcohol. Trouble broke out after a large group of students from South
Pasadena arrived, they said.
"People just started getting pushed," an 18-year-old senior said.
"Then a fight broke out. Everyone was unsure what happened. I thought
it was a firecracker. People freaked out. People were crying. Nobody
knew if it was a firecracker or a gunshot or what. I didn't know
anybody got shot until the next day."
Students said a rivalry had been heating up with South Pasadena
for the past year, particularly between Johnson-Blasucci's group of
friends and a group of South Pasadena students. At the most recent
incident, a scuffle about four or five months ago, students from
South Pasadena allegedly threw bricks.
