LOS ANGELES, CA – A wave of deadly shootings that shook the Los Angeles area, claiming the lives of four individuals including a 14-year-old boy, has led to the arrest of two suspected gang members. The news was confirmed by local authorities on Tuesday.
The violent incidents unfolded within a short span of hours from Sunday night into early Monday, spanning the cities of Huntington Park, Bell, Cudahy, and Los Angeles, according to details provided by the LA County Sheriff’s Department.
Investigators are yet to pinpoint a motive, but the current belief is that the victims were selected at random and had no known ties to the suspects, as explained by Sheriff’s Homicide Captain Andrew Meyer during a media briefing on Tuesday.
Meyer stated, “The evidence suggests a random murder spree. However, we’re keeping all lines of inquiry open.”
The hunt is on for a possible third suspect, though no specific information has been released. The public has been reassured that there is no ongoing threat.
The first casualty, a man, was found deceased around 10:30 p.m. on Sunday in the city of Bell, following reports of gunshots, as per Meyer. In the early hours of Monday, another man lost his life in a shooting at a shopping center parking lot in LA.
Minutes later, two juveniles were shot in the nearby city of Cudahy. One of them, a 14-year-old boy, died on the spot, while the other is receiving treatment in a hospital and is in stable condition. The fourth fatal shooting incident took place in Huntington Park just before 2 a.m., where a homeless man, familiar to the local community, was found dead on a sidewalk, as reported by the city’s Police Chief, Cosme Lozano.
A Honda Pilot was singled out by sheriff’s investigators as a possible suspect vehicle, spotted in surveillance footage near all four crime scenes. The vehicle was later intercepted during a traffic stop east of Los Angeles, leading to the detention of a 42-year-old man with a lengthy criminal history. The second suspect, a 20-year-old man with a clean record, was arrested following the execution of a search warrant at a home in Compton.
Both suspects, thought to be gang members, could be looking at murder charges, although it is not yet clear if both men fired weapons. No firearms have been recovered to date. The sheriff’s department has appealed to witnesses or anyone with information to come forward.