Raymond Washington

Raymond Washington
1974 mugshot of Raymond Washington
Born	Raymond Lee Washington (1953-08-14)August 14, 1953 Los Angeles, California, United States
Died	August 9, 1979(1979-08-09) (aged 25) Los Angeles, California, United States
Known for	Criminal activity and founding the Crips

Raymond Lee Washington (August 14, 1953 – August 9, 1979) was the original founder of the South Central Los Angeles street gang the Crips.

On August 9, 1979, at approximately 10:00 pm, Washington was shot at 6326 South San Pedro, Los Angeles, and died a few hours later at Morningside Hospital from the injuries. According to his death certificate, he died from a gun shot wound to the abdomen.

Raymond Lee Washington was born in Los Angeles, California, on August 14, 1953 the youngest of four sons to Violet Samuel and Reginald Washington. He had three older brothers and one younger half-brother, Derard S. Barton, from his mother's second marriage. His parents separated when he was two years old, and he was raised by his mother and stepfather. Washington grew up on East 76th Street, between Wadsworth and Central Avenues in Los Angeles.

Contemporaries recalled that Washington had an affinity for fist fighting. He was constantly in trouble with the Los Angeles Police Department for various offenses as an adolescent, although his mother is quoted as saying, "Raymond was a good kid when he was a boy. Raymond didn’t go out of his way to fight or do anything bad, but if someone came to him, he would protect himself. And he was well-built. He tried to protect the community and keep the bad guys out. But after a while, every time I looked up, the police were coming to the house looking for Raymond.”

Some neighbors remembered Washington differently. Lorrie Griffin Moss, who resided across the street from Washington on 76th Street, said, "I don’t have a whole lot of good to say about Raymond. Raymond was a bully. A muscular bully. He wouldn’t let anybody from outside our neighborhood bother us. He would bother us. Raymond could be very mean."

A friend stated that Washington was a good football player, but never participated as a member of school sports team due to his poor grades. He transferred between schools repeatedly due to expulsion, and attended Locke High School, John C. Fremont High School, an alternative school attached to Washington Preparatory High School, and Fairfax High School in the Fairfax District near West Hollywood.