Gunman Opens Fire on Fishermen Asleep in Long Beach; 4 Wounded

A gunman opened fire on a group of sleeping fishermen early Sunday morning in Long Beach, wounding four, police said.

Seven men, all in their early 20s, had been fishing at the end of the jetty at 72nd Place and Ocean Boulevard at about 2:30 a.m., Long Beach Police Lt. Philip King said.

Three men approached them, and after “some general conversation about fishing,” King said, the three, all in their mid-20s, casually asked whether any of the fishermen were carrying guns.

When they were told no, the trio left. King said the exchange did not seem hostile.

About two hours later, the three men returned to find the fishermen sleeping. After one of them fired at least six rounds at the group with a small-caliber weapon, all three ran off.

At the sound of gunfire, three of the fishermen awoke and fled. The other four drove themselves to Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Long Beach. A 21-year-old man was treated for two gunshot wounds to the stomach. Another, also 21, was shot in the cheek. A third was treated for a gunshot wound in the left forearm. The injuries to the fourth were not detailed.

Police said the motive was unclear. “It doesn’t make any sense,” King said.

He said police were uncertain whether gang elements were involved. No arrests had been made.