Honors Student Shot Dead After Gang Crashes Party

A high school honors student was killed early Saturday when gunmen looking for rival gang members crashed a party and fought with a number of guests, police said.

The name of the 17-year-old student, who attended Cathedral High School in Los Angeles, was not released.

The violence erupted at midnight when a number of street thugs crashed a party at a home in the 5800 block of Bey Street, said Los Angeles police Detective Bernardo Lovato of the Hollenbeck station.

“Basically, they came in and started saying ‘Where you from?’ And from there a fight began,” said Los Angeles police Sgt. Rick Faulkner.

During the fight, one of the gang members pulled a pistol and shot the teenager, who died at the scene, Lovato said.

Another party-goer, 20-year-old Anthony John Moscato, was wounded as he tried to run away, Lovato said.

He was taken to Los Angeles County/USC Medical Center where he was listed in stable condition.

“Both victims were not associated with any gangs and were victims of a senseless shooting,” Lovato said.

He described the slain youth as an honors student but released no further details.

The gunmen ran away after the shooting and remained at large.