The authorities ask for help from the community to find the suspect and remind residents to be alert during the holiday season
What was intended to be a pleasant Halloween party on Tuesday night at a Long Beach residence became a tragedy.
Authorities reported that three people died and nine were injured, some seriously, in a shooting in the 2700 block of 7th Street, between Temple and Ohio avenues. The tragic incident occurred around 10:45 p.m.
Long Beach Police Chief Robert Luna said yesterday at a press conference that they still do not know the identity of the victims but that they understand that they came from neighboring cities.
"Apparently it was a Halloween party, but we also heard that it was a birthday and a meeting of coworkers in the house of a relative of one of them," he said.
Luna said preliminary evidence showed that one or more unidentified gunmen shot guests from an alley to the residence. It is estimated that there were about 25 to 30 people at the party.
The deceased, all men, died at the scene. While among the injured, there were seven women and two men, whose ages ranged from 20 to 49 years. The victims were transported to hospitals in the area.
The ethnicity of the people is unknown but through a statement the authorities identified the victims as follows:
20-year-old woman from Anaheim, 27-year-old woman from Hawthorne, 27-year-old man from Cudahy, 28-year-old woman from Los Angeles, 28-year-old woman from Gardena, 29-year-old man from Hawthorne, woman 30-year-old resident of Compton, 32-year-old woman from Lawndale and 49-year-old woman from Los Angeles.
The identity and residence of the three deceased is unknown and will be identified by the Los Angeles County coroner's office, which will also notify family members.
Luna said the reason for the shooting is unknown but they believe the party was the main target.
“I don't think it was a random act. Based on what we know, they could have had the place as their objective, ”said the police chief.
The investigation revealed that the suspect is a man of unknown ethnicity who wore dark clothes and wore a hidden face.
"The person seems to have walked to the place and then (after the shooting) ran off and climbed into a dark vehicle," Luna said. "It is still unknown if there were suspects
additional ”.
He added that they hope to find the suspect or suspects of this terrible incident that caused a tragedy in a city that the authorities consider safe.
Luna asked the general public that if anyone knows something, do not hesitate to call the police to stop him.
“We want to know why someone wanted to do this. Who dares to shoot indiscriminately no matter who he was aiming at, ”he said. "We need to remove this person from the streets."
Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia asked for prayers for the families of the deceased and injured victims.
"This was an act of pointless gun violence and the Long Beach police are doing everything they can to find the culprit," he said.
In addition, he asked people to be alert in this Halloween season and the coming holidays.
"We encourage families to be more careful these days and if they see anything suspicious or something out of the ordinary call the Long Beach police," said the mayor.
Luna said police are looking for security cameras near the residence of the incident to identify the suspect or his vehicle. They are also investigating what type of weapon was used.
"There is evidence that a firearm was used and multiple bullet casings were recovered."
Anyone with additional information on the case can contact the homicide investigators of the Long Beach Police Department Mark Mattia or Donald Collier at (562) 570-7244.
Anyone wishing to remain anonymous can call 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), or visit http://www.lacrimestoppers.org.
