Five Youths Shot, Three Critically, in Chinatown Attack

Five youths were wounded--three of them critically--by bullets fired from a passing car in Chinatown Friday night, police said.

All five were sitting on a bench at a bus stop in front of the Bank of America building at 850 N. Broadway when a car sped past and the occupants opened fire just before 11 p.m., Los Angeles Police Lt. James Darr said. The car drove away, and none of the assailants was captured.

Identities of the victims were not released.

Police believe that the shooting was the result of a fight that took place earlier Friday night between groups of Latino and Oriental youths at a carnival being held in the yard of Castelar Street School, only a few blocks from Chinatown, Darr said. Four of the wounded were Latinos and one was black, police said.

Witnesses told officers that the assailants were Orientals, but the witnesses could not tell the police how many occupants were in the car or give a description of the vehicle, Darr said.

One of the victims, a boy 11 years old, was wounded in the leg and taken to Queen of Angels Medical Center, where a spokeswoman said he was in good condition. Another youth, 16, was wounded in the left side and underwent surgery at the same hospital early Saturday.

Fire Department spokesman Vince Marzo said the second critically wounded youth was taken to County-USC Medical Center and the third to California Hospital. The fifth victim was taken to White Memorial Hospital.