2 Shot at Canoga Park High; Children Flee in Terror

A gunman opened fire on a handball court at Canoga Park High School on Wednesday, wounding two men and scattering a group of young girls playing softball on a nearby field.

Five to 10 bullets from a handgun were fired on the campus about 6:15 p.m. hitting the two men, one 19 years old and the other 22, according to Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Brian Humphrey.

About two dozen 9- and 10-year-old girls and their parents ran for cover, the girls screaming in terror, witnesses said.

“Some moms and dads were covering their girls for protection,” said one father, who declined to be identified. “Some other girls ran behind a storage bin for safety. It was a madhouse.”

Sgt. Jay Bender of the LAPD’s West Valley Division said police think the shooting was intentional and may have been race related. The men who were hit were Latino; those suspected in the shooting were African American, Bender said.

Late Wednesday police detained four men for questioning in connection with the shooting.

The 22-year-old shooting victim, whose identity was not released, was rushed to Northridge Hospital Medical Center in critical condition with a gunshot wound to the back, Humphrey said.

The 19-year-old, who was playing handball with his brother on another court, was taken to another local hospital where he was treated for a gunshot wound to the leg, according to paramedics.

Authorities said the wounded men were not affiliated with the school but lived in the neighborhood.

The school, in the 21900 block of Hart Street, was closed for the day but was being used by visitors for handball, softball and basketball, authorities said.

Antonio Ramirez, 17, was walking toward the school building when he heard the shots. Around him people scattered and ran for cover, he said.

“All I heard was a couple of loud popping sounds, and that’s when I ran,” Ramirez said. “I turned around and saw some guys running away.”

LAPD Det. Rick Swanston said the shooting may have been precipitated by a confrontation in a nearby alley around 3:30 p.m. It was uncertain what the argument was about, but Swanston said some men were overheard saying they would settle their scores later.

Police said the gunman was standing with several other men about 100 yards from the handball court when he fired from across the street and through a chain-link fence.

Authorities were looking for the weapon used in the crime, believed to be a small-caliber handgun.

Andrew Blankstein is a Times staff writer. Greg Risling is a Times Community News reporter.