Gang violence is prevalent throughout the Central Valley. (Photo: NewsNation)
Gang violence is prevalent throughout the Central Valley. In 2021, three of its counties had the highest homicide rates in California, with Tulare County coming in third.
Even so, when four generations of one family, including a 10-month-old baby, were executed last month in the small town of Goshen in Tulare County. Locals said they were used to gang violence, but the gruesome nature of this attack was alarming.
“This feels different,” Diego Velasquez, an 18-year-old high school student from Goshen said. “We’re keeping an eye on the cameras at our house.”
Two men suspected of the killings were apprehended on Friday. Law enforcement officials said they would continue investigating the crime because the motives remain unclear. The sheriff of Tulare County is also urging Gov. Gavin Newsom to lift a moratorium on the death penalty he imposed in 2019.
READ ALSO: California Sheriff: Multiple Murders Could be Gang or Cartel Related
Gang violence is prevalent throughout the Central Valley. (Photo: Yahoo)
What else do we need to know about this case?
According to the sheriff, the perpetrators were two Norteos members. They broke into this house, went after the man who was said to be involved in gang activities, killed him, and then went on a killing spree, killing everyone in their path.
However, there appears to be some disagreement between Norteos and at least one member of this household who was a Sureos member. It’s unclear whether one gang overstepped its bounds over territory or whether one gang is attempting to seize control of the entire territory.
One of the things that seemed to surprise people about this crime was that it occurred in Goshen, a 5,000-person town in the San Joaquin Valley. It is a widespread misconception that gangs only exist in major cities.
Gangs are associated with urban enclaves rather than small rural towns. This is not something you’d expect to see in a small town.
However, gangs and Mexican cartels have been moving into rural America for a long time to expand their drug markets, recruit new members, and avoid detection by authorities.
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