Nighttime Violence Leaves 4 Shot to Death, 5 Wounded

At least one youth was shot to death and two others were wounded by gang members who raked a Harbor Gateway mini-mall with gunfire early Saturday, police reported. The incident capped a violent night that left four dead and five wounded throughout the region, according to authorities.

Los Angeles police detectives are searching for gang members who were riding in a compact car and fired on a group of youths early Saturday as they stood around a convenience store, said Wilshire Division Sgt. Michael Diaz. The suspects may have also been involved in a separate shooting that wounded an unknown number of juveniles in the Rampart Division, the officer added.

According to Diaz, the shootings began after the youths in the car asked those standing near the store “what set” they were from--a standard gang greeting. When the youths at the store said they were not with a gang, those in the car jumped out, fought briefly with one youth and shot him.

The youths drove away, but returned moments later and fired a round of shots at the store. Police later found at least 11 expended 9-millimeter and .45-caliber shells.

Diaz said that one wounded youth, Oscar Alvarez, 20, of Los Angeles, was pronounced dead at California Medical Center-Los Angeles. Diaz said Alvarez may have gone to the hospital on his own. Another youth was taken to Cedars-Sinai Hospital, where he was treated for gunshot wounds in the back, and a third man was treated and released at another location.

In Redondo Beach, DeMon Johnson, 20, of Compton was shot and killed at 2 a.m. Saturday by a man who approached Johnson’s parked car. The armed man also shot at a passenger, Major Blackman, 21, of Gardena, and drove off in the car with Blackman still inside, sheriff’s deputies said.

Johnson died at the scene, deputies said. Blackman, critically wounded, was found in a Compton alley and the car was found ablaze in Willowbrook.

In Highland Park, a 26-year-old man was shot to death as he ran from three gang members during a robbery, police reported. And in a drive-by shooting late Friday night, Joaquin Gonzalez, 39, of Los Angeles was killed and two others were wounded in Glassell Park, according to authorities.