Suspect Held in Slaying of 2 Brothers

A 21-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the shooting deaths of two brothers who may have been investigating the slaying of their younger brother.

Craigen Armstrong was arrested Tuesday night in Downey by Inglewood police and a task force set up after the drive-by shooting deaths of Michael Florence, 27, and Torry Florence, 29, said Inglewood Police Lt. Alex Perez. Armstrong was booked at the Inglewood jail on suspicion of murder, he said.

Armstrong had not been arraigned as of late Wednesday and bail had not been set.

Christopher Florence, 21, was killed in a drive-by shooting last Thursday in the 10200 block of South 10th Avenue, a few blocks from where his older brothers were killed on Saturday, Perez said.

“We don’t want people going out trying to solve murders,” Perez said. “Someone capable of violence once can easily do it again.”

Police said they had found no direct link between the shootings. “There’s no indication the brothers were involved in gangs,” Perez said.

Armstrong, however, is believed to be a gang member, the officer said.

Torry and Michael Florence were stopped at a traffic signal on Century Boulevard near Doty Avenue Saturday night when a car pulled alongside and at least one person opened fire, Perez said.

Michael was pronounced dead at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center on Sunday morning. Torry was taken to Martin Luther King Jr./Drew Medical Center, where he died at 2:50 a.m. Tuesday.

Although police would not give details, Lt. Perez said there was “a strong possibility” there had been some kind of contact before both shootings between the gunmen and the victims.

“They weren’t random shootings,” he said.

There have been 25 gang-related homicides in Inglewood so far this year, nine more than in all of 2000.

Overall, there have been 33 homicides in Inglewood this year, compared to 25 all of last year, Perez said.

The district attorney’s office has set up a fund to help Brenda Florence, mother of the three slain brothers, pay for their funeral and other expenses.

Anyone interested in helping can send checks to the D.A. Crime Prevention Foundation for Brenda Florence: 320 W. Temple St., Room 1162, Los Angeles, CA 90012.

Anyone with information about the shootings is asked to call the Inglewood Police Department Homicide Unit at (310) 412-5246.