Verbal Dispute Turns into Shooting

LOS ANGELES POLICE DEPARTMENT
PRESS RELEASE
Friday, December 15, 2000

"Verbal Dispute Turns Into Shooting"

Hollywood – Early this morning on December 15, 2000, at approximately 2:05 a.m., Hollywood officers responded to a call of "shots fired" at a liquor store located in the 6000 Block of Hollywood Boulevard. When the officers arrived to the scene they observed two victims of gunshot wounds seated in their car. The Los Angeles City Fire Department Paramedics responded to the scene and provided medical treatment. One victim failed to respond to treatment and was pronounced dead at the scene. There where three other victims who received injuries and where transported to a local hospitals. All of the victims are male Blacks in there 20’s. The deceased victim was a male Black, 20 years of age, a resident of Canoga Park. His identity is being withheld pending notification of the next of kin.

Preliminary investigation revealed that there may have been a dispute between two groups of people at a local nightclub. The two groups left the club in separate cars and ended up at a near by liquor store. A fist-fight occurred between several people that escalated into gunfire. Witnesses were able to provide officers with a description of the suspects and a possible license plate number.

At approximately 3:35 a.m., Pacific Area officers observed a vehicle matching the description from the Hollywood broadcast. Officers followed the car into a Jack-in-the-Box located in the City of Santa Monica. The officers detained two individuals as possible suspects from the Hollywood shooting.

The motive for this incident appears to be gang related.

The Los Angles Police Department, Hollywood Operations Support Division, Homicide-Detectives are currently conducting the investigation. If anyone has any information regarding this incident contact Detective Michael Thrasher at 213-485-4610.

This information was provided by Detective Michael Thrasher, Hollywood Operations Support Division.

This press release was prepared By Officer Mariana Gallegos, Media Relations Section, 213-485-3586.

For Release 4:55 pm PST
December 15, 2000