An investigation is underway in Valley Glen after a late-night shooting near a smoke shop resulted in the death of two men and left another fighting for his life.
Shortly after 10 p.m. on Monday, Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers rushed to respond to a report of gunfire at the intersection of Coldwater Canyon Avenue and Victory Boulevard. When they arrived, they found a BMW peppered with bullet holes in a nearby parking lot.
In response to the grim scene, the officers promptly requested three ambulances to come to the smoke shop’s parking area close to the crime scene, according to LAPD Officer Matthew Cruz.
One man was found lifeless at the scene, and another man tragically succumbed to his injuries after being rushed to the hospital. A third victim is currently hospitalized and remains in a critical condition.
Arkadi Simonyan, a 44-year-old man from Los Angeles, was identified by the coroner’s office as one of the deceased victims. The identity of the other man who lost his life is yet to be released as his relatives have not been informed of the unfortunate event.
In an intriguing twist, the LAPD is considering the surviving victim as a potential suspect in the shooting.
The investigation has since uncovered that the deadly shooting ensued after a disagreement among a group of men escalated, resulting in two men pulling out guns and opening fire.
Authorities are also exploring the possibility that the deadly confrontation could have originated from a car collision involving a Mercedes SUV and a sedan.
At this point in the investigation, LAPD Captain Brian O’Connor confirmed that they are not pursuing any additional suspects related to the shooting incident.