Frederick Taft

Status:

Open

Jurisdiction:

Long Beach Police Department (CA)

Offense Location:

Long Beach, California

Summary:

Frederick Taft, a 57-year-old man, was shot and killed in a restroom at Pan American Park on July 21, 2018, while attending a family reunion. He was shot nine times; his phone and wallet were not stolen. The murder remains unsolved.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Offense:

On July 21, 2018, at approximately 4:26 p.m., Fred Taft was in a restroom at Pan American Park when he was shot and killed by a male suspect. 40-50 members of the Taft family had assembled for a family reunion at the time of the shooting. At around 4:00 pm he walked over to the public restroom. He never returned. Frederick's niece Allison Flanigan said, during a 2020 protest, that the killer was hiding in a bathroom stall when Frederick entered, then emerged from the stall in the men's room and shot Frederick nine times from behind, including once in the back of the head, killing him while he was still exposed. After the shooting, the suspect fled the scene.

Additional Details:

Investigators found six 9-millimeter bullet casings at the scene but found no gun, according to the report. At the time of the incident, detectives believed the suspect fled on foot and was a white male adult in his 50s. However, detectives have recently identified a new lead which suggests the suspect used a blue minivan to flee the scene. This new lead also revealed the suspect is a male Hispanic in his 20s. Witnesses have described a man running from the bathroom where Taft was killed wearing khaki shorts, calf-high socks and a fishing hat. Witnesses at the event had reported a white man in a Prius driving by and shouting "187 in the Park." the day of the shooting. There were also reports of another group, nearby playing softball, that had been harassed by a group of white men on bicycles shouting racial slurs. Racist graffiti found in the park led Taft's family to believe his killing was a hate crime. After finding out Thursday that police now believe the shooter was Hispanic, Taft's family said they were "shocked." But given the circumstances of the killing, they still believe it was racially motivated. The motive for this shooting remains under investigation. The Long Beach Police Department left his body in plain view for hours and did not make any efforts to place a sheet over Taft or obstruct the public's view. The family, activists and City staff are also in the process of reinstating the reward for any information that may lead to the arrest of Frederick's killer.

Case Last Updated:

Apr 23, 2026