On November 24, 2024, at about 1:55 a.m., Long Beach Police responded to reports of unknown trouble in the 2600 block of East Ocean Boulevard near Junipero Beach and found two men with gunshot wounds in a homeless encampment at a beach playground closed for repairs. One victim, 51-year-old Frank Suggs Jr., sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the chest and was pronounced dead at the scene; a second man was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner classified Suggs’ death as a homicide by gunshot wound.

Suggs, originally from Indiana, had been homeless in California for several years and his family said he struggled with mental health and addiction but chose to live on the street to offer help and advice to others. The Long Beach Police Homicide Detail is investigating; no motive or suspect information has been released. If anyone has information, detectives ask that they call 562-570-7244 or submit anonymous tips to Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS or lacrimestoppers.org.

Did anyone in the area see or hear anything that night that could help investigators?