2 Hurt in Series of South-Central Shootings

At least three shootings took place during a one-hour period Wednesday night in South-Central Los Angeles, injuring two people, police said Thursday.

Police are investigating whether the incidents were related, said Sgt. Ellis Imaizumi of the Los Angeles Police Department’s Southeast Division. The first shooting occurred about 11:10 p.m. in the 500 block of West 109th Place.

A man between 18 and 22 was shot in front of a home by assailants in a passing car. He had gunshot wounds in the arm and graze wounds in his back and chest but is expected to survive, Imaizumi said.

Numerous assault rifle casings were found along the street, and gunfire hit trees and shattered the rear window of a car in the neighborhood. Residents continued to report sounds of gunfire and tires screeching about three blocks away at 112th and Hoover streets, Imaizumi said.

About 15 minutes later, shots were fired from a car at a house about 10 blocks north of the first shooting, Imaizumi said. No one was injured in that shooting but police believe residents of the home on the 9000 block of Orchard Street returned fire, Imaizumi said.

Police found bullet holes in the walls of the home and 9-millimeter shell casings scattered from the porch out to the street in front of the residence, Imaizumi said.

The last shooting happened about 10 minutes before midnight at 87th and Hoover streets. A 16-year-old boy was shot twice in the back by someone passing by in a car, Imaizumi said. The boy is expected to survive.

The motives for the shootings are undetermined, but police believe they are probable gang-related, Imaizumi said.