PACOIMA : Man Shot Near Councilman Alarcon’s Office

Los Angeles police were investigating the shooting of a young man Monday in a parking lot of a Pacoima strip shopping center where Councilman Richard Alarcon’s office is located.

The shooting had no relation to the councilman’s office, and Alarcon was out touring the district with Mayor Richard Riordan at the time of the shooting, officials said.

Detectives said they were hampered by a lack of witnesses to describe what happened about 3 p.m. in the lot at 13630 Van Nuys Blvd. The victim, whose name and age police did not know, was taken to a hospital by two friends after the shooting. The two friends then left before police could talk to them.

Detective Marshall White said the victim was in serious condition but was expected to survive.

“Our problem is we don’t have any witnesses,” White said. “Everybody in the shopping center heard shots, but they didn’t see anything because they were ducking for cover.”

Bullets shattered the front window of a video store next to Alarcon’s office. A secretary in Alarcon’s office quickly called police.

Sybil MacDonald, director of communications for Alarcon, said two council employees were in the office at the time of the shooting.

“They really didn’t see anything, they just heard,” MacDonald said. “Everyone is safe. . . . It happened pretty quick. All I can tell you at this point is that no one in our office was involved.”