Local News in Brief : 2 Shot in Pacoima Fast-Food Restaurant

Two men were critically injured as customers dove for cover during a shooting inside a crowded fast food restaurant in Pacoima Sunday.

Both men, whose names were being withhold pending notification of their families, were in critical condition, police said. One shooting victim was transported to Olive View Medical Center in Sylmar and the other was taken to St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank.

The victims were ordering food at a Burger King restaurant at Glenoaks and Van Nuys boulevards about 6 p.m. when a man who came up behind them and opened fire, said Los Angeles Police Sgt. Ken Dionne.

One of the men, who was standing at the head of the line, was shot four times in the chest and the other, who stood behind him, was shot in the back, said restaurant manager Mohammed Ali. The man at the head of the line collapsed on the counter, while the other gunshot victim ran out of the restaurant and collapsed on the pavement, Ali said. The gunman also ran outside, he said.

About 15 people were in line and another ten patrons were in the dining area, Ali said. Many dove under tables and some ran out the doors screaming, he said.

“Everybody was screaming and running and crying,” Ali said.

Ali said both victims and the gunman were black men in their middle 20s. He said no words were exchanged in the incident.

Police say that the shooting may have been gang-related. Officers from the anti-gang detail are handling the investigation.