Teen-Ager Hurt When Motorist Fires Into Car
A shotgun blast fired from a truck into a car filled with teen-agers struck a 17-year-old in the head early Saturday, leaving him in serious but stable condition, authorities said.
A motive for the shooting, which took place about 1 a.m. on Tampa Avenue near Lassen Street, remained under investigation, said Officer Kristen Traynor of the Los Angeles Police Department.
The victim, whose name was withheld because of his age, and three companions, two 16-year-olds and an 18-year-old, were in a southbound car when two men in a late-model, gray Toyota 4-Runner pulled up beside their vehicle and stared at them, authorities said.
The 4-Runner then began swerving between lanes, trying to cut off their car, police say the teen-agers told them.
When the teen-agers sped up in an attempt to get away, the passenger in the 4-Runner leveled a shotgun at the car’s driver and fired, police said. The shot shattered the driver’s window and struck the 17-year-old, who was sitting in the back seat.
The injured teen-ager underwent surgery for skull fractures at Granada Hills Community Hospital and was reported in stable condition Saturday afternoon, said Traynor.
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