SANTA ANA : Shooting at Party Claims Man’s Life

One man was shot to death and another wounded when violence erupted at a party advertised by flyer, police said Sunday.

Witnesses told police that a party in the 1600 block of South Sycamore Street was disrupted when a fight broke out and two young men began shooting at each other about 3:50 p.m. Saturday, Santa Ana Police Cpl. Jeff Armstrong said.

Michael Valenzuela, 19, of Santa Ana was shot once in the chest and was pronounced dead at Western Medical Center in Santa Ana, Armstrong said.

Police were later called to the 1400 block of South Main Street, about three blocks away, where a second fight had broken out, Armstrong said.

“They were the same individuals involved in the fight on South Sycamore,” Armstrong said.

No suspects were arrested at the Main Street address but police said they found a pistol believed to have been used in the gun battle.

Police later learned that another man had sought medical attention at Coastal Community Hospital for a minor injury from a gunshot wound, Armstrong said. It was unclear whether the second man had been shot at the first party or the second.

Armstrong said the shootings are being investigated as a gang-related incidents.