On April 29, 1992 the verdict, of the Rodney King trial, a pro-police jury set off riot in Los Angeles, causing fifty deaths, 1$ billion dollars property damage to the city, and over 2,300 injuries. This was known as the Rodney King beating, and riot, which was a horrible wake up call for America. The Rodney King trial aftermath had a tremendous effect on Los Angeles by causing a horrific riot, that shed light on the tense situation in Los Angeles, and gave L.A. the chance to come back after a steep fall.
There had been many domestic problems in Los Angeles before the Rodney King riots. In 1871 race riots against the Chinese occurred, and fifteen were lynched. In 1965 six days of rioting took place that left, thirty four dead, caused $175 million dollars worth of damage, and over one thousand injuries. Then in 1991 a Korean grocery store owner Soon Ja Du killed a 15 year old, freshman, girl. Latasha Harlins, was accused by Du of stealing a plastic container, Latasha then striked Du, and Du shot her in the back of the head as she was leaving. Not only did a few minor tensions break out between the races, before the Rodney King beating, but also tensions were inspired by the blacks current hatred of Koreans, Hispanics, and Whites.
The South Central section of Los Angeles, the neighborhood where the riot began, was full f crime, and drugs, and was exact situation where a riot could start. Many nation-wide gangs began in this section of Los Angeles, the Eight Tray Gangsta Crip gang, the West Coast Bloods, the Latin Kings, and the Rollin" sixties. There are many guns stores in the area of South Central, and almost every house in the neighborhoods has at least one gun in it. Liquor played a massive part in the spark of the riot. In South Central there is at least one liquor store on every block, a favorite drink of the area is Olde English 800 (a type of malt beverage).
The neighborhood was not the only variable that led to the riot in Los Angeles.
