Looking at Victor McClinton's Impact

Victor McClinton, the Pasadena man who was gunned down on Christmas Day, left a mark on the lives of the community through the Brotherhood Community Youth Sports League, a non-profit that taught children self-esteem and confidence through teamwork and other skills tied to sports. This led Los Angeles Times sports columnist Bill Plashcke to examine the impact of McClinton's impact on the community.

Plaschke writes:

"Even if you had never heard of Victor McClinton, if you have had children who play recreational sports, you knew him.

He was the guy pouring chalk powder through an upside-down orange cone on a playground football field on a rainy Saturday morning. He was the guy opening the rusty lock on a church gym and dragging in a bag of balls on a cold Wednesday night. He was the guy who is always there with an extra jersey or juice box or safety pin to hold up your toddler's basketball pants."

The communities of Pasadena and Altadena mourned McClinton's death, with community leaders gathering near Pasadena City Hall days later to speak out against the violence over the holidays.

Some Patch readers shared their thoughts on various posts regarding the tragedy:

"I met Victor when my son was only 5 years old at the Pasadena YMCA. Today, he is a better person because he taught him respect and treating everyone with compassion. Also, he picked me out from a crowd to be one of his coaches and taught me to be a leader and made the game fun for the kids. My son is now 22 years old and we will miss him dearly. Rest in peace as our family will always remember you for your love and what you did for the community." - Harvey Fung

"My son played in his Brotherhood Crusade basketball league for several years. It was a great experience and we loved Victor's presence. He was funny, strong, and caring: a real leader. Gentle and kind with the kids, he could be tough on the parents (in a good, humorous way!). Our hearts just dropped when we heard of his tragic death. He literally affected hundreds if not thousands of lives for the better. He is sorely missed!" - Eric O'Rafferty

Here are some links to past coverage of the shooting, where you can see some of these comments and more:

Another Suspect Charged with Murder in Christmas Day Killing

Communities Respond to Recent Gang Violence at Rally

Prosecutors Could Seek Death Penalty

Victims Identified in Christmas Day Shooting