Police Arrest 3 in Shooting Death of 16-Year-Old Panorama City Girl : Crime: Nikki Foley was killed last month outside her apartment building. Raids at seven gang members’ homes also find guns and ammunition.

Los Angeles police raided the homes of seven gang members early Tuesday and arrested three suspects in the slaying of a 16-year-old girl who was shot along with her sister and two friends while standing outside their Panorama City apartment last month.

Arrested on suspicion of murder in the death of Nikki Foley were Brandon Reed, 21, of Sun Valley, Maurice Campbell, 20, of Panorama City, and a 17-year-old North Hollywood youth. All three were being held without bail.

Investigators said the 7 a.m. raids at homes in Sun Valley, Panorama City, Van Nuys and North Hollywood also produced six guns and a large quantity of ammunition.

Detective Steve Fisk said Reed is believed to have been among several people who opened fire from a car on a group of young people standing in front of an apartment building in the 9300 block of Sylmar Avenue shortly after midnight May 15. Campbell and the 17-year-old were passengers, Fisk said. At least three other suspects are still being sought, he said.

When the shooting erupted, the group in front of the apartment complex started running. But bullets struck and killed Nikki, 16, and wounded her sister, Shaneka, 15 and friends, Jontue Fowler and Mona Moore, both 15.

Fisk said information from witnesses led to the arrests Tuesday. He said the three suspects in custody are members of a North Hollywood-based gang. “There had been an ongoing dispute between two rival gangs,” the detective said. “There were members of one gang in the group in front of the apartment when these others pulled up. As far as we can tell, the group hanging out in front were the targets.”

Fisk and Nikki’s school principal said the girl had a long association with gang members, which apparently continued even after she changed schools in an effort to break away. Reseda High School Principal Robert Kladifko said Nikki transferred there in March from James Monroe High in North Hills, where she was classified as a gang member. However, he said, she attended her new school infrequently.

“We were trying to help her,” Kladifko said. “Unfortunately, we were unable to reach her before this tragedy.”