The city is tonight simmering as an all out gang warfare has erupted, leaving two young men dead.It began on Friday night, shortly after seven when two men gunned down a 24 year old as he rode his bicycle on West Canal. Alfonso Noble has been following the shooting story and files this report:

Alfonso Noble reporting,

Alfonso Noble
Somebody's son - but shortly after 7 on Friday night, a spectacle, as the body lay there for two hours - and another saddening statistic, murder #50 for 2002 - four more than all of last year. A throng of stunned even breathless onlookers gathered on West Canal to get a glimpse of 24 year old Jose Chavarria as he lay on the ground with at least two gunshot wounds to the upper part of his body. Eyewitness reports are that Chavarria was casually riding his bicycle South-bound on West Canal when a man stormed out of a building near to #81 West Canal, strode up to him and fired a single gunshot to his head. Moments later, another man emerged, he approached the wounded 24 year old, kicked him in the face, and he too fired a gunshot, this one into Chavarria's neck. The men then walked up West Canal and hopped into a gold colored Sedan and sped off. The assailants left hundreds of spectators gathered around the young man's body to gaggle at the second murder on that same location in two months. BERT personnel responded minutes later and after looking for vital signs pronounced Chavarria dead. A sudden, shocking end for a young man - who apparently had planned to look at some videos that night - with the title of one of the movies, "Ghost," offering a chilling premonition of the fate that awaited him.

And as could have been expected, after Chavarria's murder, quick and violent retaliation would soon come. After a weekend of shooting, street soldiers from Jose "Mexican" Chavarria's crew were looking for the alleged gunman, Arthur Young or any of his relatives. That vendetta is believed to have resulted in a number of random shooting throughout the weekend, and this morning found its target - 28 year old Ricky Gongora - a known associate of Arthur Young. Gongora, who had recently been released from jail was walking along West Street - on the edge of his turf - when he was gunned down:

Älfonso Noble
Shortly after eight this morning Ricky Gongora was walking along West Street when a blue vehicle pulled up along side him. A gunman jumped out of the vehicle and without any hesitation fired a number of shots into Gongora's chest. A still shaken Estanislao Requena who lives just a few feet away says all he heard was gunshots.

Estanislao Requena
This morning I was to the back when I heard 'bout five shots, 'bout four to five shots. When I mi do want to come out here, I was afraid, I stand up middle house because ah still di hear how the crowd mi come out and when I mi do want come 'gainst the wall ya, the bwoy mi di lay down inna di drain.

Jules Vasquez
And how e look?

Estanisleo Requena
He look like e mi wa dead to me. He mi look like e mi wa dead. Well, I see some bwoy dem tek ah out a di drain, and dey put ah inna wah lee van and gone with the bwoy.

Alfonso Noble
True to Requena's observation Gongora died at the Karl Heusner Memorial while undergoing surgery. This morning's event has left Requena shaken as the occurrence happened immediately in front of his home.

Estanisleo Requena
I feel bad, you know. I mi feel nervous, I tell you I don't know what to do. I stand up middle house and listen to the shots them. It could affect me, not only the house, it could affect me, that's why I stand up middle house, I say, no further. 'Till when I hear things calm, then I come out.

Alfonso Noble
It seems that this is the only reaction that residents can have after thugs walk, ride, and drive into neighborhoods and with utter disregard for life, shoot in congested areas.

Police found expended 9 millimeter shells in both shootings - and suspect that a teck 9 could have been the weapon in this morning's murder. No one has been arrested - but police have one suspect in each case. Chavarria and Gongora are not the only victims of the rash of shootings that took over the city over the weekend. At around 5 on Sunday morning, 24 year old Kernel Gibson, resident of one embatlled zone, Berkley Street, was walking along Vernon Street when upon reaching the intersection with Pine Street, a grey four door car pulled up beside him. Gibson says one of the vehicle's occupants pointed a gun at him and fired four shots. Gibson received gunshots to the left side of his neck, shoulder and right leg. Police are looking for two suspects.