Khalil Saleem, a 17-year-old student and former member of the Lakewood High football team, died Saturday after being shot in a drive-by at Silverado Park in Long Beach.
According to the Long Beach Police Department, Saleem and two other unidentified males were at the basketball courts at Silverado Park when an SUV drove past and fired shots, hitting Saleem in the upper body and leaving him in critical condition. He died at a nearby hospital, police said.
Lakewood coach Justin Utupo said he first learned the news from teammates posting pictures of the high school senior, then read reports of the shooting.
“I was just hoping and praying that that wasn’t Khalil,” Utupo said.
A team mom was with Saleem’s family in the hospital and relayed his death, the coach said.
Saleem transferred from Rancho Verde High in Moreno Valley after his sophomore year and never actually played a down for Lakewood, Utupo said. As a junior he was held out the entire season because of CIF rules and as a senior he chose to focus on making up credits in order to graduate.
But that junior season, Saleem still was at practice every day, Utupo remembered. Still part of the team. Not making any excuses because he wasn’t playing.
“That wasn’t going to stop him from helping his teammates become better on the football field … he just wanted to play so badly,” Utupo said. “And because he couldn’t, he just wanted his teammates to succeed.”
The motive for the shooting still was unknown Sunday afternoon. The two other males with Saleem were hit and taken to the hospital; one was released and the other was in stable condition, according to police.
Lakewood will meet Monday as a team for a prayer to remember Saleem.
“If you were fortunate enough to get to know Khalil, you would agree that he was a great kid and he was on his way to doing some great things,” Utupo said.
