Teen Killed, 2 Others Hurt in Drive-By Shooting

A teenage boy was shot dead behind the wheel of his car on a quiet Fountain Valley street, and two other male teens were wounded by gunfire but expected to survive, police said Saturday.

In a written statement, Lt. Dann Bean did not identify the victims or discuss details of the police investigation.

Neighbors made frantic 911 calls after six shots were fired in what appeared to be a drive-by confrontation just before 10 p.m. Friday in the 8900 block of La Dona Court.

“We ducked when we heard the shots, then looked out the window, and there was a young man on a front lawn yelling, ‘I’ve been shot,’ ” said one longtime resident who requested anonymity. “I ran out and tried to stop the bleeding in his arm, and he said, ‘I think my buddy’s dead down the block.’ ”

The resident said he found a young man who had been shot in the head in the driver’s seat of what looked like a rust-colored Honda. Dozens of cars that had flooded the cul-de-sac moments earlier fled just as quickly. The shooting occurred in front of a two-story house where a birthday party was taking place, neighbors and police said.

La Dona Court, near Magnolia Street and the San Diego Freeway, has been home to several families for decades. Witnesses said they were stunned by both the violence and the composure of the victims.

One woman said she asked the young man shot in the arm whether he wanted her to call his family, and he replied: “What do you need to call my mom for? I’m not dead yet.”

While authorities declined to discuss motives, neighbors said officers questioned the wounded teen about potential gang connections. He was taken afterward to a hospital by ambulance.

A second youth was brought to the hospital by friends. The nature of his wound was not immediately known.

“It’s very, very sad to see children killing each other,” said Russell Jackson, a 20-year resident of the block. “But it’s happening everywhere, even here now.”