Gunman Wounds Four Aboard Bus in Gang Incident

A gunman confronted by rival gang members opened fire on a packed RTD bus Thursday afternoon, wounding three teen-agers and an adult before fleeing on foot down a busy South-Central Los Angeles street.

Police said the bus had pulled up to the corner of 60th Street and Vermont Avenue--next to John Muir Junior High School--at 3:45 p.m., when two gang members issued a vague challenge to a rival gang member on the bus.

The rival gang member rose from his seat, pulled out a .45-caliber handgun from his waistband and began spraying shots inside the crowded bus, witnesses told authorities.

“Apparently this kid who did the shooting and the people challenging him had a previous confrontation, and there was already bad feelings between them,” said Police Lt. Joseph T. Freia.

It was not known if the wounded teen-agers and adult were among those involved in the argument. Two were treated and released and two others were hospitalized in serious but stable condition.

Authorities said the shooting was not tied to the junior high school. Classes were not in session. Although two Muir students were among the wounded, they apparently were not gang members.

Police said two gang members began asking passengers if they were affiliated with a gang. Freia said when everyone answered negatively, the gang members pointed to the gunman and said, “ ‘Well, that guy over there is (from a certain gang), because we had a confrontation with him last week and we beat the hell out of him.’ ”

Times staff writers Bob James and Nieson Himmel contributed to this article.