2 Wounded in Shooting at Party; 4 Arrested

Police made four arrests and are looking for at least two additional suspects in a shooting during a high school graduation party this week that left two people injured.

Lawrence Lopez, 49, of Oxnard and Ioane Sui, 21, of Long Beach were wounded in a fight that broke out at 11 p.m. Tuesday in the 1900 block of Devonshire Drive, according to Sgt. Tom Chronister.

Sui was taken to St. John’s Regional Medical Center, where he was treated and released, police said. Lopez was taken to the same hospital and was released Wednesday after surgery, according to a nursing supervisor.

Sui and two others, including a juvenile, were arrested and charged with public fighting and interfering with the duties of a police officer, Sgt. Martin Meyer said. A charge of public fighting against a fourth unidentified individual was later dropped when it was determined that he was acting in self-defense, Meyer said.

Chronister said his department is looking for an unknown number of suspects on charges of fighting and assault with the deadly weapon. It is not known how many suspects fired shots.

A fight broke out after several individuals crashed the party, angering the suspects, who were already there, Chronister said.

“Crashing a party is not against the law,” he said. “It certainly doesn’t warrant being shot.”

Sui, who was standing in the street, was struck in the left thigh, according to Chronister.

Lopez, a neighbor who had just stepped out of his residence, was shot in the left leg, Chronister said.

“He was shot by a stray round,” he said.

--DAVID GREENBERG