12-year-old fatally shot, 14-year-old cousin wounded in San Bernardino

A 12-year-old boy is dead and his 14-year-old cousin wounded after someone in a car opened fire on the two juveniles as they walked to a mini-mart in San Bernardino on Sunday night, police said.

The boys were walking about 10 p.m. near Love Lane and Orange Street, headed to a nearby Circle K when a dark-colored SUV pulled up alongside them and someone inside opened fire, said Lt. Rich Lawhead.

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The boys ran a short distance to the market’s parking lot where the 12-year-old collapsed and died. The 14-year-old was wounded and taken to a hospital and is expected to survive, Lawhead said.

Family members identified the slain boy as Jason Spears and his cousin as Terrance Spears, KTLA reported.

The shooting occurred in an area known for gang violence, but there is “nothing to indicate” that the boys have any gang affiliations, Lawhead said. Police are still trying to determine a motive for the shooting.

“We’re really going to need the community’s help on this,” Lawhead said. “We have very limited information to work with.”

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The department recently deployed extra officers in parts of the city seeing increases in crime, he said.

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