Police are searching for a gunman who killed a 15-year-old boy and wounded another on Saturday in one of several street takeovers across Los Angeles over the weekend.
The shooting happened around 12:40 a.m. Saturday near 54th Street and Western Avenue, where a crowd had gathered to watch a car spinning out of control at the intersection.
The Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement that two juveniles in the crowd witnessed what appeared to be a robbery in the area. The suspect then opened fire on the juveniles, who fled to a nearby vehicle and fled the area. Police did not say how many shooters were involved.
The two boys were taken to a nearby hospital. One was in stable condition as of Monday. The other was diagnosed with critical condition and taken to another hospital where he later died from his injuries.
Street takeovers, also known as sideshows, involve drivers taking over intersections to perform illegal and dangerous stunts. The events attract hundreds of spectators at a time and often lead to shootings, violence and deaths.
At least five more incidents occurred at intersections around Los Angeles between late Sunday night and early Monday morning, local media reported.
The shooting happened at a roadside occupation near Greenleaf Boulevard and Santa Fe Avenue in Compton around 8:30 p.m. Sunday. Two men were shot and taken to the hospital where they were treated for non-life-threatening injuries, according to ABC7.
Authorities said spectators at the event, which took place at the intersection of Manchester Avenue and Avalon Boulevard early Monday morning, broke into a Wing Stop restaurant and stole cash and food.
Officers responded to where about 300 people had gathered at the intersection of Manchester and Normandy streets two miles away and found a car on fire.
In another incident, a fire hydrant broke near Century Boulevard and Western Avenue, sending water spewing like a geyser, and a street takeover was reported at Rosecrans Avenue and Central Avenue in Compton, according to NBC4. The news outlet also reported that police broke up another gathering of more than 100 vehicles near Century Boulevard and Hoover Street, destroying a taco cart.
Detectives from the Los Angeles Police Department’s South Homicide Division are still searching for the person responsible for Saturday’s shooting, police said in a statement and are asking the public for help. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477.
Street racing and hijackings in Los Angeles peaked at 912 in 2020. There were 319 in 2019 and 482 in 2023, according to data released by the Los Angeles Police Department in February.
Earlier this year, the Los Angeles City Council voted 12-1 to approve an $80,000 pilot program to install reinforced center lines at 20 high-accident intersections across the city to deter such incidents. None of the weekend incidents occurred at those intersections.
According to local media reports, the county Board of Supervisors has requested an oral report on the matter from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department later this month.