ARRESTS MADE IN FREEWAY SHOOTING COLLEGE STUDENT, 20, SLAIN IN MARCH.

Byline: Rick Orlov Staff Writer

With sobbing family members attesting to the cost of random violence, Los Angeles police on Friday announced the arrests of two gang members in the slaying of a 20-year-old college student on a Southland freeway.

The family of Michael Ryan Livingston, wearing necklaces that contained his picture, listened as Chief William Bratton and other police officials announced the arrests of Donald Shorts, 23, and D'Andre Keyshaun Moorer, 27, on suspicion of murder. Both are Los Angeles residents.

``Too many of these senseless crimes go unsolved,'' Bratton said during a news conference at the 77th Street Station. ``Because of the commitment of the family and the work of our officers and others, we are able to announce that we believe we have the people responsible.''

Police said Livingston, a college student, was shot March 29 while he was driving his 1998 silver Chevrolet Camaro on the northbound 110 Freeway. Freeway shootings in Southern California this year have killed three other people and wounded several more.

Livingston's father, Dennis, said there is no sense of closure - that the loss of his only son will haunt his family forever.

``Since that night in March, I have gone through every emotion,'' Livingston said, as he fought to control tears. ``Nothing will ever be the same.''

Bratton said Livingston's death was one in a series of random freeway shootings that occurred about the same time - with most of those unsolved.

``We don't know what prompted it,'' Bratton said. ``All we know is that Michael was driving along that afternoon, living the life, when something happened and he was shot and killed.

``Too often we find these acts of violence are road rage or gang violence. This was road rage.''

Police Capt. Kenneth Garner said he had promised the Livingstone family that the case would be solved. ``This family deserves all the credit. They were a constant source of support and encouragement. Our officers would not have rested until this case was solved.''

Garner said officials hope to get additional information about two or three other people who might have been in the car with Moorer and Shorts. Police said they were withholding the name of the gang the two belonged to in the hope of learning the identity of the others.

The key to solving the case came in late May, when San Bernardino officials told the Los Angeles Police Department that they had arrested Shorts in Las Vegas as a suspect in three other gang-related killings.

``If you want to see the face of a serial murderer, this is it,'' Garner said, pointing to a color booking photo of Shorts. ``Three other murders and this.''

Moorer, who is also known by the street name of Scandalous D, was picked up recently by federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms agents on a weapons charge and implicated in the shooting, officials said.

He is scheduled to be arraigned Monday and officials said he is cooperating with investigators.

Councilwoman Jan Perry, in whose district the shooting occurred, said she will seek to have the $25,000 reward offered in the case combined with a similar reward from ATF to solve the other freeway shootings.

Rick Orlov, [phone]

rick.orlov(at)dailynews.com

Anyone with information about the Livingston shooting is asked to call the LAPD at [phone] or [phone].

CAPTION(S):

3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) MOORER

(2 -- color) SHORTS

(3) LIVINGSTON