Travon Lamont Brown Jr., 21, of Compton was shot and killed at about 3:30 p.m. on December 3, 2017, while standing near the ticket machines at the Metro Blue Line passenger platform on Willowbrook Avenue. An argument with a group who had just exited the train escalated into a physical fight; a gunshot struck Brown in the chest and he was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital at 4:27 p.m. Witnesses described the shooter as a black adult male who ran from the scene.

The investigation led to the arrests of Arthur Lee Lewis and his stepbrother Eric Roberts. Witness testimony said Lewis and Roberts exited the train shouting gang names and confronting people; Roberts allegedly threw the first punch and Lewis fired the fatal shot. Both men were charged with murder eight days after the killing. Lewis was later convicted of voluntary manslaughter with gun enhancements and received a 21-year prison term, while Roberts was acquitted of murder. Their mother, Dupresa Paxton, and her husband, Norman Johnson, were arrested in February 2018 and later pleaded no contest to accessory after the fact, receiving one year in county jail and five years probation.

Brown’s family described profound grief and spoke about turning to violence-reduction groups and mutual support. The case underscores the role of gang-related confrontation in the violence that ended Brown’s life. Does anyone have information about the incident or remember seeing events at the Willowbrook platform that afternoon?