Multiple people have been shot in a series of drive-by shootings in La Mirada and Whittier near Los Angeles, local officials say. The suspects are still at large and the victims appear to have been targeted at random.
The first incident was reported at 3 p.m. PT on Saturday when police were called to a carjacking in Pico Rivera, a city southeast of Los Angeles. It was followed by at least 5 shooting incidents in Whittier, La Mirada and Norwalk.
In one incident, at 4 p.m. PT, an adult man was shot in the area of Santa Gertrudes Avenue and Alicante Road in La Mirada. “The victim was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead,” the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said.
Authorities would not immediately confirm the total number of victims, but initial reports suggest that at least three other people have been injured. Two people are believed to have been shot in the Whittier area and another in the Norwalk area.
“There are additional shootings in the surrounding areas involving multiple victims. The number of victims, as well as their conditions, are unknown at this time,” the sheriff’s department said in a statement. Witnesses reported seeing a number of cars with broken windows.
The vehicle that was used in the shootings was found at Amelia Mayberry Park in Whittier, but the suspects remain at large. There was no immediate word on a possible motive for Saturday’s shooting spree.
As a result of the shootings, Biola University in La Mirada has issued an “active shooter” alert to students. It said a man and a woman were inside a green Cherokee and “shooting people randomly” near the area of Imperial Highway and Santa Gertrudes Avenue in Whittier.
“All students should avoid area immediately,” the university said in an emergency alert sent via text message. “If in the area, we advise you return to campus or leave for safer area. Campus Safety will monitor the situation.”
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