Man Is Shot to Death in Park Altercation

A young man was shot to death in a popular, tree-shaded city park here early Saturday, and police launched an intensive search for the victim’s assailant, police said.

Huntington Beach Police Lt. Ed McErlain said gunfire erupted in Huntington Central Park shortly after 1 a.m. when an apparent argument broke out among the victim, a 19-year-old suspect and two others, who had all gone to the park together hours earlier.

The dead man, whose identity was withheld pending notification of his family, was thought to be about 20 years old.

Officers said the suspect, Thuy Vinh Tran of Westminster, apparently pulled a handgun and began firing, hitting the victim at least once but missing the other two men, who apparently ran for cover in the darkness.

The suspect was described as Vietnamese, about 5-foot-5, 120 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. Police said they went to several locations in Westminster on Saturday but were unable to find Tran. No gun was found.

A man whose name was not released called police from a phone booth to report the shooting and took them to a section of the park near Golden West Street and Slater Avenue, where the victim was. He was dead at the scene.

Police declined to reveal how many times the victim was shot or the exact weapon involved. They also refused to speculate on whether the shooting was gang- or drug-related.

The victim, he said, was not from Huntington Beach but was from Orange County.