Six people were struck by gunfire and three are in critical condition Wednesday following a gang-related shooting in MacArthur Park, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
The shooting was reported to police shortly before 1 a.m. in the 600 block of South Alvarado Street, where officers found multiple gunshot victims in the area, police said. Officers have arrested a male suspect.
One victim, who appeared to have been struck by a stray bullet, was located near the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and Alvarado Street, according to LAPD Det. Meghan Aguilar.
Initially, police believed all six of the injured were victims. They later said one was an assailant, who is in critical but stable condition, according to police. It was not clear who shot the alleged attacker.
“Today the mayor and I are surging resources to this area to enforce a Zero Tolerance policy on crime — if you break the law you will be arrested,” LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said in a statement. “Please know that my top priority is keeping you safe, and I will continue to hold anyone who threatens your sense of security accountable.”
The victims were described as four adult males and one adult female. All were transported to local hospitals. Three victims are in stable condition.
The apprehended male suspect walked up to a group of people and opened fire with a handgun, police said. The suspect then ran southbound on Alvarado Street to an unknown location.
Aguilar said investigators at the scene recovered bullet casings from two weapons, indicating that two additional shooters were involved in the attacks.
Law enforcement sources said the shooting stemmed from a confrontation between rival gang members who opened fired at each other. The victims, police sources said, were bystanders.
Video taken by ANG News showed a trail of blood on the sidewalk leading to a man lying in a pool of blood while paramedics tended to his wounds. Another video showed a man with a bloody lip that was nearly torn off.
The shooting is the latest among the crime problems that have beset MacArthur Park. The area is known for gang violence and drug use, much of it by the homeless people living in and around the park. The owner of nearby Langer’s Deli has threatened to close if the city doesn’t clean up the area.
City, police and community leaders have spent months fretting over how best to handle the intertwined crises at the park. A proposed cleanup operation that involved hundreds of police officers has been delayed twice, most recently because police resources were needed to respond to the ongoing wildfires.
The shootings also bring another dose of stress for the neighborhood’s immigrant community that is already on edge amid fears of mass deportations that the Trump administration has promised to carry out.
