2 Wounded in Gunfire at School

Two teens were wounded and a 17-year-old Anaheim youth was taken into custody Wednesday after an apparent gang showdown at Anaheim High School ended with gunfire and students scrambling for cover, police said.

No names were released, but police said the suspect in custody and the wounded teens--neither were students at the school--were among 10 youths in two groups who squared off near the campus baseball field at the start of the school day.

“We don’t know what drew them to this location or whether any students were among the groups,” Anaheim Police Lt. Joe Reiss said, although students interviewed Wednesday afternoon said the campus outsiders were there to settle a dispute with at least one student.

The 17-year-old suspect was arrested at his Anaheim workplace about 12:30 p.m., interviewed by gang investigators and then taken to Orange County Juvenile Hall on suspicion of attempted murder, Reiss said. More suspects are being sought, Reiss said.

The two gunshot victims, one shot in the chin and the other in the foot, were identified only as an 18-year-old from Placentia and a 17-year-old from Anaheim.

Both were released from a hospital Wednesday and were expected to make full recoveries, Reiss said. Neither victim is facing trespassing or assault charges at this point, he said.

The shooting comes just before the school’s centennial celebration, which will be marked this weekend by a huge reunion of all past classes that is expected to draw 3,000 alumni to the Lincoln Avenue campus.

School and police officials said they believe this is the first shooting in the history of the school. Many said Wednesday that they are grateful the injuries were not more serious.

“Whenever you have gunfire at a school, you always stand the chance of a lot of people being hit,” Anaheim Police Lt. Ted Labahn said. “No bystanders were hurt, so in that regard we were very fortunate.”

Witnesses told police the rival factions first met up on the grassy sports field just minutes before classes began at 8 a.m., fought briefly and then scattered, Reiss said.

Several students said that group confrontation was preceded by a fistfight in the boys’ locker room when a youth who was not a student attacked a pupil getting ready for gym class.

“This guy came in and hit [the student] in the locker room,” said a 15-year-old student who witnessed the fight. “That started it all.”

Police say the rival groups traded insults and punches before one person pulled out a handgun and fired three to five times.

“I heard pow-pow-pow. There was like five shots,” said another youth who could hear the gunshots from his home just west of campus.

As faculty members streamed out toward the scene, the fighters ran off, including the two gunshot victims, who later admitted themselves to Western Medical Center-Anaheim, Labahn said.

Officers searched the area, canvassing nearby neighborhoods for witnesses. They also towed away a gold, four-door Chevrolet parked in the 200 block of Pearl Street that they believed to be linked to the crime, although they would not elaborate.

Also contributing to this report were Times staff writer Nick Anderson and correspondent Lisa Addison.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Gang Gunfire

A confrontation at Anaheim High School between members of rival gangs resulted in two teens suffering gunshot wounds. Neither injury is serious and both teens--neither of whom is a student at the school--will recover.