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A photo of evidence from the James Carter case showing the parking lot at Dr. J's Liquor.
San Diego Superior Court
A photo of evidence from the James Carter case showing the parking lot at Dr. J's Liquor.

DR J'S: How A Gang Shooting Changed Southeast San Diego

Just after midnight on New Year's Eve, two women and two young children were on their way home from church. They stopped at Dr J's Liquor in Lincoln Park to buy a fireplace log.

A group of gang members pulled up and started shooting. Both women were killed. The 7-year-old was shot multiple times while he shielded the 2-year-old with his body. Remarkably, he survived.

This crime was so horrific that it made people pay more attention to what was going on in Southeast San Diego, a lower-income and predominantly African-American pocket of the city.

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If you walk the streets in the area today, people still talk about the shooting and the lasting impacts it had.

Listen to the podcast: Dr J's: How A Gang Shooting Changed Southeast San Diego

As a member of the investigations team, my job is to hold the powerful in San Diego County accountable. I've done in-depth investigations on political campaigns, police officer misconduct and neighborhood quality of life issues.
What is a story that is going on in San Diego that people should know about?

KPBS has created a public safety coverage policy to guide decisions on what stories we prioritize, as well as whose narratives we need to include to tell complete stories that best serve our audiences. This policy was shaped through months of training with the Poynter Institute and feedback from the community. You can read the full policy here.