A grieving family is asking for help finding out who killed their 51-year-old brother in a homeless encampment on Junipero Beach.
Police said Frank Suggs was one of the two men who was shot shortly before 2 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 24, in an encampment at the beach playground that was closed for repairs.
The other man survived, police said, but Suggs died at the scene. Police don’t know yet what sparked the shooting, and they are still trying to gather suspect information.
Suggs is from Indiana, where he lived with his wife and children until about eight years ago when he left to live on the streets of Las Vegas and then California, according to his brother Anthony Suggs.
While fighting mental health issues and addiction, Frank chose to be homeless because he believed he could offer help and advice to others on the street, according to Anthony.
Anthony said Frank “saw other people struggling and he thought he could help them even though he was struggling.”
Anthony will remember his brother as a man who cared for and protected others at great risk to himself: “Has our brother done bad things? Absolutely, but I will tell you he would’ve done anything for anyone.”
In his 20s, after a heated basketball game spun into violence, Frank stepped in front of a bullet for his brother, Anthony said.
Frank “didn’t hesitate. He used himself as a human shield.”
The disgruntled opposing player shot Frank in the stomach, buttocks and ankle as he wrestled the gun away, according to Anthony.
“I thought he was Superman after that,” Anthony said. After a long recovery process, Frank attended the shooter’s sentencing hearing where he asked the judge to impose only a light prison term.
Once Frank left for California, he moved around the state, according to his brother, but he apparently spent significant time in Long Beach. Court records show he was repeatedly cited over the last few years for loitering or camping at local beaches or parks. He was also in and out of police custody on theft and drug charges.
Anthony said he and his siblings tried many times to get Frank home, but, “To him living on the street was no worries in the world. It was his place.”
Frank’s death was not the first shooting at Junipero Beach this year. Neighbors have been complaining about violence, fireworks, loud music, drugs and other rowdiness in the parking lot next to the playground. Earlier this year, as police tried to crack down on the crime, Councilmember Cindy Allen described the lot as a “free for all” of illegal and annoying activity that she was pressing the city to address.
Police have asked anyone who may have seen what happened Sunday to call homicide detectives at 562-570-7244 or submit anonymous tips through Crime Stoppers.
Anthony said he and his siblings are hoping for answers about how their brother died. He asked locals and any potential witnesses to remember Frank was deeply loved by his family.
“Addiction and mental health is not who they are,” he said. “It’s a disease.”
Editor’s note: This story was updated throughout with information about Frank Suggs’ life provided by his family.