1 Killed, 2 Wounded in Early Morning Shooting

A gang shooting early Saturday left one 19-year-old man dead and two people injured, police said.

Jorge Herrera of Panorama City was shot once in the chest with a handgun just before 2 a.m. in the 7500 block of Kester Avenue, said Officer Mike Partain, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Department.

Herrera died on the way to Mission Community Hospital in Panorama City, a hospital spokesman said.

A 17-year-old girl, believed to be Herrera’s companion, was shot in the back.

Pedro Del Valle, 23, of Van Nuys, who was walking down the street was shot in the abdomen, said Det. Steve Fisk of the LAPD’s Van Nuys Division.

Both are in stable condition at local hospitals, Partain said. Police would not release the name of the female victim, fearing retaliation.

It was not clear if there was more than one gunman, police said.

An argument about the girl may have led to the incident, according to witnesses who did not want to be identified. Police believe the shooting was gang-related.

Del Valle, who is believed to be an innocent bystander, was struck by a stray bullet, Partain said.

“I was asleep and I heard a bam-bam-bam, just a gang of gunshots,” said a man who lives on Kester Avenue. “All these people came running past my house, and some of them hid in my yard or garage. It was pretty crazy.”

The shooting occurred near Robert Fulton Middle School, a neighborhood that’s usually quiet, but has an obvious gang presence, residents said. Gang monikers and graffiti stain the walls of some nearby houses, while other homes have well-kept yards and gardens.

“This is the worst thing I’ve ever seen in this neighborhood,” said a 16-year-old girl, who has lived on Kester Avenue for eight years. “This area usually isn’t violent, but I’m scared they might want revenge and do some more shooting out here.”