1 Killed, 5 Hurt in Gang Shootings

Gang-related violence resulted in a shooting death outside a South Los Angeles social club early Saturday and the wounding of five teen-agers at a high school graduation party in Long Beach late Friday, authorities said.

Keith Thompson, 25, of Los Angeles, was fatally wounded in an argument with an unknown assailant outside the Something Unique club in the 11200 block of Western Ave. shortly after 1 a.m., sheriff’s deputies said. A bystander, Marvin Randolph, 22, was also struck by a bullet but was not seriously wounded.

Sheriff’s deputies said the shooting occurred when a group of people, including several street gang members, gathered outside the club. It was not immediately clear, authorities said, whether the two victims were gang-affiliated.

Two Are Arrested

In Long Beach, two suspects were apprehended as they sped away from the shooting scene at a residence in the 2000 block of Santa Fe Ave. Anthony Freeman Chapple, 22, of Long Beach, and his brother, Reginald Tyrone Chapple, 18, were held on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, Long Beach Police Lt. Rod Mickelson said.

Witnesses said the suspects, who reportedly fired more than 45 rounds from an assault rifle and a semi-automatic pistol, yelled out the name of a street gang before driving away in a 1986 Cadillac.

After police spotted the getaway car, the younger Chapple jumped out while it was moving at 20 m.p.h., Mickelson said. He was caught by police who chased him on foot.

A 9-mm semi-automatic pistol was found in the front seat of the car and an AK-47 semi-automatic rifle was found nearby, Mickelson said.

Many Shots Fired

The five victims, three girls and two boys between the ages of 15 and 17, were treated at hospitals and released, Mickelson said.

“Apparently the suspects were there a very short time when the shooting started,” Mickelson said. “There was an argument, some yelling and then the shooting.”

“You’re talking about a lot of shooting, 45 or 50 shots or more--we’re very fortunate the injuries were not more severe.”

Other late-night shooting incidents believed to be gang-related were reported in Hollywood, Southeast and South-Central Los Angeles and Cudahy. In those instances, the victims suffered only minor injuries or were not hit.

Police captured seven suspects after the Hollywood incident, in which shots were fired at a man in a car outside a convenience store in the 900 block of N. Vine St. early Saturday.

One Suspect Shot

One of the suspects, whose name was not released because he is a juvenile, was grazed in the chest by a bullet fired by a police officer who thought he was reaching for a weapon, said Los Angeles Police Sgt. John Zrofsky. The youth, who was apprehended in a nearby house, was shot when he reached under a blanket after being ordered to surrender.

Sheriff’s deputies also reported that a fatal Friday morning shooting, in which German Guerrero, 22, was fatally wounded while driving in Maywood, was also apparently gang-related.