Local student killed in shooting Local student killed in shooting (October 01, 2004)

Police suspect gang link in death of popular youth

By Julie O'Shea

As police investigate whether last week's shooting death of a 17-year-old boy was gang-related, students at Los Altos High School, where the teen was enrolled, said they feel their campus is a safe zone.

Mountain View police have not yet classified Alejandro "Alex" Fernandez's death as being gang-related. However, police spokesperson Jim Bennett said "there appears to be a link to gang activity," and officers plan to hold a community awareness meeting about the incident at Los Altos High School on Oct. 5 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

The meeting, to be hosted by Mountain View Police Chief Scott Vermeer, will give parents an opportunity to ask questions about last week's killing. Police will also discuss gang violence and warning signs parents should be aware of if they suspect their teen is involved in a gang.

While walking down Rengstorff Avenue near Latham Street last Friday night, Alex Fernandez, a junior at Los Altos High, was shot once in his chest and once in his lower body. He was later declared dead at Stanford Hospital. This is the first homicide for Mountain View this year.

Police have very little to go on so far. There are no suspects and no motive. What is known is that Alex used to be a member of the Surenos gang. But school administrators who knew Alex said the young man with the ready smile and big dreams was trying to turn his life around. It is unclear if he was still affiliated with the Mexican-American gang at the time of his death.

At Los Altos High School on Monday, students said they were stunned to hear that one of their peers had been murdered. While rumors spread that Alex's death was a result of gang violence, teens were quick to say they feel safe at their Almond Avenue campus. Still, last week's shooting has left many of them shaken, and the teens expressed both sadness and fear.

"It's definitely nothing very prominent here," Lauren Partain, 15, said of the city's gang problems. However, Alex's death "makes it more real that something like that could happen to you."

Melissa Rosales, a junior, said: "I think it's sad. I don't think it should have happened."

Teachers read students a short statement on the facts of the case at the beginning of the school day, but after that, Sophia Langhi said no one talked much about what had happened.

"I think it's scary that it was so close to here, and that [Alex] went here," she said.

Asked, however, if she felt unsafe at school and if she worried about gang violence, Sophia shook her head.

"The gang violence on campus is almost nonexistent," said Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District Superintendent Rich Fischer.

Fischer said only about 17 or 18 kids in the district are involved in gangs.

"We know which kids are affiliated with gangs. It's no secret," he said, adding that those students have been talked to by teachers.

"Any school district that says they don't have a gang problem is probably lying," Los Altos Principal Wynne Satterwhite said. "It's a pretty common phenomenon. It's got a huge history, (but) the campuses are still safe zones.

"We take the safety of our kids very seriously."

Speaking in her office Monday afternoon, Satterwhite looked visibly upset, her eyes tearing as she talked about Alex.

"He was a great kid. He made some choices I wish he hadn't," she said. Pausing, Satterwhite closed her eyes and leaned back in her chair. "I couldn't believe it. I had just seen him Friday ... and we talked, and we were kidding around.

"He knew we cared. ... It's just such a senseless waste of his life."

As of Tuesday, no memorial service had been planned. Fischer said Alex's family members are worried they won't have money to cover funeral costs. For more information about making a donation, call the school at 960-8811.

Anyone who witnessed or has information about the shooting is urged to call the Mountain View Police Department tip hotline at (866) 570-8211.

E-mail Julie O'Shea at joshea@mv-voice.com

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