Shooters of USC sprinter sentenced


Two alleged gang members were sentenced
Aug. 11 in the non-fatal shooting of USC track star Bryshon Nellum.

Travon Reed of Los Angeles and Horasio Kimbrough of Inglewood were sentenced to 15 years each for the shooting, which occurred outside of Leonardo’s Club and Restaurant on Vermont Avenue and 28th Street. Both pleaded no contest to attempted murder.

Nellum, 19 at the time of the shooting, was walking out of Leonardo’s Club and Restaurant, where he had attended a Halloween party, when he was shot in both thighs and one hamstring.

According to prosecutors, Reed and Kimbrough mistook Nellum for a rival gang member.

Throughout the course of the trial, Nellum’s family and lawyers maintained he was not involved in any gang related activities and had no known enemies.

At the time of the shooting Nellum was the fastest 19-and-under 400-meter sprinter in the world, USC’s Director of track and field, Ron Allice, said.

Prior to attending USC, Nellum, a 2007 graduate of Long Beach Polytechnic High School, held the nationwide high school record for the 200- and 400-meter sprints. Nellum was also named Gatorade National Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year for the 2006-2007 academic year.

Nellum was the first athlete ever to win two California state titles two straight years in the 200- and 400-meter race.

Following the shooting, Nellum underwent surgery at California Hospital Medical Center and physical therapy.

Nellum later returned as a sprinter on the track and field team.

3 replies
  1. Nick
    Nick says:

    15 years for attempted murder is a joke. This is a shame, an innocent student gets shot and the thugs plead no contest to attempted murder. Attempted Murder! the failed attempt to KILL a person!!!!!

    Give these thugs 50 years!

  2. marty
    marty says:

    It’s stories like this one that call out for maximum sentencing with no plea deals……personally, I’d like to see these guys executed in public….which would happen if this happened in a Muslim theocracy.

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