2 in Car Hit by Gunfire From Another Vehicle

A confrontation between people in two cars nearly turned deadly late Monday night when one driver fired gunshots into the other car, injuring two of the four occupants, police said.

Police are unsure what prompted the shooting that occurred shortly before midnight. According to witnesses, the gunman and his passenger were stopped at a red light at San Fernando Road and Verdugo Avenue when another vehicle pulled alongside. Police are trying to confirm whether words were exchanged between the people inside the two Honda Civics. The car driven by the gunman sped away toward the Golden State Freeway, police said.

The second car headed in the same direction, while the first car lay in wait at Verdugo and Front Street, police said. As the second car approached, the gunman opened his door and pulled out a semiautomatic handgun and shot several times into the other vehicle, said Burbank police Lt. Don Brown.

The driver of the second car ducked but was grazed in the shoulder by a bullet. A 19-year-old woman passenger was struck in the head and abdomen. She was taken to an area hospital where she was listed in critical condition, Brown said. Two other passengers escaped injury.