Sharks v Jets, pt 2

There's a gang war a-brewin' in San Francisco's Mission District: SF Police Try To Head Off Mission Gang War

San Francisco police redoubled enforcement efforts in the Mission District today after a pair of shootings on the same street over the weekend left three men dead, including a Norteño gang member who had been repeatedly cited for violating the city's gang injunction.

The fatal shooting of the Norteño member Friday night on 24th Street prompted what police believe was a retaliatory attack Sunday afternoon in a pizza parlor eight blocks away, in which two men were killed.

"The whole thing has been gang-related violence," said Capt. Steve Tacchini, commander of the Mission police station. "We've increased the presence there - it's kind of a hotspot already. As the warm weather approaches, we see a greater likelihood of confrontations on the street, more consumption of alcohol."

Along with Demon Rum making everyone crazy from the heat, there is an X-Factor: the people involved appear to be complete idiots:

Police say the outbreak of gang violence began at 7:10 p.m. Friday, when Michael "Monster" Sanchez, 21, was slain at 24th and Shotwell streets.

Homicide Inspector Valerie Matthews said Sanchez had been with a group of men riding around the Mission in a white stretch limousine. Two of the men were celebrating the completion of GED program.

"They were yelling at everybody, drinking," Matthews said. "They were acting like they had never been in a limousine before."

The men got into a dispute with three men in another car, which was soon joined by other people on the street, Matthews said.

Someone opened fire, killing Sanchez and wounding another man, she said

Who rents a limo after finishing a GED program? When I graduated from law school, I repaired to my parents' apartment in my step-dad's Avalon!

Sanchez, for his part, appears to have marked himself out for an early grave. If the "Beagle" had landed at 16th & Mission, instead of the Galapagos, Darwin would have still found enough evidence around him to support his theory of natural selection:

In February 2008, Sanchez was cited three times for violating the city's injunction against known Norteños gathering in the Mission, records show.

Three months later, he was sentenced to three years in state prison for grand theft, drug sales and violating the gang injunction. He was released from prison
Sept. 13, returned to the Mission on Friday - once again violating the anti-Norteño injunction - and was slain, police said.

Just when he thought he was out, he pulled himself back in! Also, note how his "three year sentence" lasted about 14 months. And, that he lasted less than a week before taking that fatal limosine ride. Also, I am guessing that Sanchez was not the one celebrating the end of his GED program.

Police saturated the area over the weekend, but couldn't head off the second shooting Sunday afternoon at Papa Potrero's Pizza at 24th and Potrero Avenue.

Francisco Cornejo, 26, and Francisco Pena, 41, both of San Francisco, were killed when someone chased them inside the parlor and fired. A third man was
wounded.

"There was a dispute outside, they tried to escape inside, there were stools knocked down, there was a donnybrook," said Lt. Jim Spillane.

A donnybrook, you say! That's one thing to like about SF. We have very literate police officers.
Note also that one of the dead gang members is 41 years old. I know SF has the reputation of being a safe-haven for perpetual adolescents, but this is ridiculous.