Point Lookout man arrested in Long Beach hit-and-run death

Shawn Gallivan, 22, is accused of striking David King , 53, sometime before 3:18 a.m. Saturday and leaving him lying in the street at Long Beach Boulevard and East Broadway, Long Beach City police said.

[Masspk]

I grew up with Dave King and was sorry to hear the news.

[Kat]

I grew up with Shawn and I'm also sorry to hear the news, he was always such a honest, caring person. I can't even believe it.

[Angela]

I went to school with Shawn, such a great kid, very talented and very friendly! so upset to hear the news!

[BG- Long Beach]

Let's not forget that David King was killed and left to die by the very person who killed him.
David was a special person that spent his life giving and helping others. He was a wonderful father; grandfather, brother, uncle, friend, and educator. He was a caring and giving teacher who loved to help those in need. His life was cut short.
Today was David King's funeral. Everyone loved David and this was evident for all to see by the outpouring of love by all who knew him; family, friends, educators, colleagues, and students. How sad to have lost such a wonderful person in such a horrific and heartless act. David will be greatly missed by everyone his life touched!

[EB - Garden City]

David's name says it all - he was a King of a man.

On Tuesday at David's funeral, we who knew him individually were not surprised to hear how he affected so many other people's lives collectively for the better.

The best way to describe David was that he was "effervescent" - he absolutely radiated joy and love. He always made lemonade from lemons, he appreciated all of life, was generous and kind, and the sparkle in his eyes told the story. He loved his job as a teacher, said he would never retire, and gave and gave to his children, his granddaughter and his friends. David told me just last week that, though he would never be rich or famous, the one thing he knew he could do would be to be a good person. What an understatement that was - he far surpassed most people.

Actually, if you want to know, I have never met a person like him - he is unforgettable. The only thing that I can do now is to aspire to be like him, and think about him always. I am deeply, painfully affected by the loss of David King. This is a huge loss for all who knew him and loved him.~EB

[untitled]

i knew both parties involved .. both wonderful people that come from very good families... people make mistakes and accidents do happen.. it is a very terrible situation for both families my heart goes out to both of them I hope both families get through this and have closure from this sad tradjedy

[SG LB]

People's lives are sometimes defined by a moment in time. Shawn Gallivan hit my cousin with his car. Didn't stop to see if he was ok, help or even make an anonymous call to get him help. No one was there to hold David's hand or comfort him while he lied dying on the street alone at 3:18am. Shawn's has defined his own life his own being with this moment.

[LB LOCAL]

Kat wrote:

I grew up with Shawn and I'm also sorry to hear the news, he was always such a honest, caring person. I can't even believe it.

You must be smoking the same crap he was on when he mowed over Mr. King and left him to die in the street. You can post bail but can't pay for a cab? Kat quit drinking the cool aid and grow up. Hope this kid goes to jail and eventually straight to hell!

[anonymous]

Dont right LB LOCAL if your from Baldwin...if you were from Long Beach you probably would actually know shawn for how good of a kid he was...but ur obviously a fake and your from baldwin so take your bullsh*t somewere else saying hes gonna go to hell go back to the hell your from(baldwin)

[anonymous]

LB LOCAL wrote:

<quoted text>
You must be smoking the same crap he was on when he mowed over Mr. King and left him to die in the street. You can post bail but can't pay for a cab? Kat quit drinking the cool aid and grow up. Hope this kid goes to jail and eventually straight to hell!

I actaully know shawn well enough that i didnt even have to be in the car with him to tell you he wasnt smoking anything...comments like this dont help anyone dick

[Kat]

Hey "LB LOCAL" who is from Baldwin, anf just to let you know I'm not smoking anything or "drinking the cool aid" thank you very much. And you do know in this country you are innocent until proven guilty. not the other way around sweetheart, so keep your opinions to yourself because you sound like a fool. Once again, I will say - SHAWN IS A GREAT PERSON, and you are the one who should go "straight to hell". Thank you.=)

[Friend on LI]

The facts are that David King was mowed down by a Ford Focus on October 17, 2009. The alleged driver of that speeding car is Shawn Gallivan, who apologized on camera to the family of David King (on News 12) as he (Shawn) was led away in handcuffs after his arraignment. David King is not here to defend himself. Before you defend a 22-yr old coward who left a perfectly healthy, productive, intelligent, loving family man to die in the street, wait till you have all the facts. It is not helpful to fling vicious statements at friends of the harmed party. The King family and friends needs your condolences, not your defense of an indefensible crime.

[Melanie]

How could the kid not know that not stopping would be worse unless he was drinking and needed to sober up?? We're not all fools.

[Friend on LI]

To Melanie,
My thoughts exactly. Everyone knows that if a car hits something in the street, the driver should stop immediately to see what they hit or if they harmed someone. This is not just good sense, it is the law. This so-called "great person" sped off, leaving Mr. King on the side of the road to die an agonizing, lonely death-something you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy. Until Shawn was caught, apparently he THOUGHT HE COULD GET AWAY WITH IT!!!

[Observer]

I'm shocked at anyone defending the killer. No matter what kind of person you think he was, the driver ran over someone and fled the scene! Sure he was AFRAID - he was afraid to have his blood alcohol level checked. If the driver was sober he would have stayed, dont ya think?

[Melanie]

Hey Friend on LI, nice to hear from someone who is not ranting. With all due respect to the persons on Shawn's side of the fence, I don't expect you to abandon him in his time of need but you're certainly not helping him by helping to convince him that he's not at fault here. Unfortunately my son has made some bad choices and he's paying pretty dearly for it now and I believe he might finally get it. I'm totally there for him but there's no "oh poor you, you made a mistake ".The old 'we're all human we make mistakes' really seems a silly thing to say to me. Now on the other hand, I know that should Shawn attempt to apologize , he will most definitely get the" sure he's sorry now blah, blah blah" . No easy answers I admit.

[shelly]

nobody knows what they would do in the exact circumstance until it happens..and god forbid this should happen to anyone..good people do bad things..and bad things happen to good people..over the next months and years the families will hear this is god's will..if that helps the healing, fine..but it just makes more people non believers

[Friend on LI]

To Shelly,
You said "God forbid" this happens to anyone.... but unfortunately it DID happen to David King. So God didn't forbid anything, but on the other hand it wasn't His will that it happened, either. It was solely the will of an irresponsible 22-yr old who left the scene of his crime.