July 27--Back in the 1980s when Skipp Townsend was an active member of the Rollin' 20s Bloods, gang threats were handled by word of mouth and gang members would use barren walls as their bulletin boards by spray painting the names of their targets or calling out people as "snitches."
"Writing on the walls was the No. 1 way of getting the message across," he said.
Now, there's Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and rumors are easier to circulate. For Townsend, who now works as a gang interventionist trying to reduce gang violence, social media has become a tool.
This came into focus over the weekend, as the Los Angeles Police Department dealt with a series of shootings in South L.A. that left 11 wounded and one dead.
On social media, rumors swirled that one gang had promised 100 days of violence after a member was killed this month. Scores of people on Instagram and Twitter expressed concern, some using the #100days100nights hashtag. Others flashed gang signs and guns, vowing revenge.
Police are monitoring social media, hoping to prevent more violence. Authorities are looking for suspects in the shootings.
Robert Rubin, a community intervention worker in South L.A., said that besides giving law enforcement and other intervention workers clues, social media can also bring out the worst in people, especially when emotions run high.
"It gives people a platform to brag, to insult and desecrate one another," he said. Instead of insulting someone face-to-face, people can hide behind a computer screen.
"Gang rivalries are now fought by insults and threats on social media," he said. "You don't even have to see a person. It's a dangerous thing."
Words are now having a more powerful impact in South L.A.
"You know that saying, 'Sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me'? That is no longer true," Rubin said. "Words are costing people their lives."
Rubin said he knew Anthony Cudger, 47, who was killed Saturday inside a dark blue Honda sedan off West 81st and South Hoover streets. It's unknown if Cudger's killing is related to the social media chatter, but Rubin said each killing tests his motivation.
"What do we do is the question," Rubin said.
Townsend often uses social media to track people down and calm tempers. He said social media makes it easier to trace the origin of threats and rumors of retaliation. He also uses it to take the temperature of volatile communities
"It makes my life easier," he said.
In a way, the social media chatter surrounding the violence in South L.A. has helped serve as a warning for people in the area.
Townsend also cautioned that the violence is not just about one gang at the center of the 100days100nights threat. Other gangs are feuding, which has "nothing to do" with 100days100nights.
"Violence is the flavor of the month again," he said.
On Monday morning, police were still searching for suspects as they sent more officers into the area.
A 6 p.m. peace rally was planned at the corner of 120th Street and Crenshaw Boulevard.
The shootings come as Los Angeles is experiencing a surge in crime this year after years of declines. In the 77th Street Division, which covers some of South L.A.'s most violent neighborhoods, shootings are up 20% so far this year compared with 2014, according to police statistics. The number of people shot has jumped nearly 31%, but there have been just two more homicides.
The LAPD is trying to prevent more violence, said Deputy Chief Bill Scott, who oversees the department's South Bureau. Detectives are working to quickly track down the gunmen. Police have reached out to gang intervention workers and clergy in hopes of cooling tempers.
Kate Mather contributed to this report.
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