Gang Feud Was Cause of Shooting, Police Say

A shooting that left a teenager dead in Fullerton earlier this week was the result of a planned confrontation between two feuding gangs--one from south Los Angeles County and the other from Irvine--police said Friday.

So far, Fullerton police have arrested six suspects from 16 to 19 years old in Los Angeles County. At least three more suspects, believed to have fled the shooting scene in a white Toyota Camry, are being sought by police, said Sgt. Joe Klein.

The adult suspects being held in connection with the slaying of Russell Su, 18, of Irvine were identified by police as Louis Liu, 19, Justin Loh, 18, and Ken Hong, 18, all from Torrance. Also detained were two 17-year-olds from Lakewood and Norwalk and a 16-year-old from Torrance.

Each of the three adults was being held in the Fullerton City Jail in lieu of $250,000 bail. The others, whose names were withheld because they are juveniles, were being held at Orange County Juvenile Hall.

All are expected to be arraigned on murder charges next week, Klein said.

One 18-year-old man from Cerritos was arrested late Thursday night but was released Friday morning.

“Investigators feel that there is not enough evidence to charge him with a homicide,” Klein said. “However, he is still considered a suspect, and he is still considered a subject of our investigation.”

Police said Su and five companions from Irvine arranged to confront a group of rival gang members after midnight Wednesday at Fullerton’s Emery Park, which is located in an upscale neighborhood. Detectives were still trying on Friday to determine why the two groups chose to meet at this park, which Klein said is off the beaten track for gangs.

“This park was preselected by both groups,” Klein said. “They were to meet there to fight and settle this dispute.”

After the two groups argued at the park, the six from Irvine left in three cars and were followed by their rivals from Los Angeles in two cars, police said. They drove through Fullerton’s hilly streets until the Irvine group, unfamiliar with the area, turned into a cul-de-sac. According to Klein, their retreat was quickly blocked by the two cars carrying the Los Angeles group.

Su and three of his friends were hit by small-arms fire that raked their vehicles, police said. Officers found 15 shell cases in the residential street where the shooting occurred.

The wounded Irvine males drove themselves to St. Jude Medical Center, which alerted police to the shooting. Police later found baseball bats and pipes in the bullet-riddled cars.

The surviving shooting victims were taken to different hospitals. Su died Wednesday at 9:25 a.m. at UCI Medical Center in Orange of a bullet wound to his neck. The three other victims, in their late teens and early 20s, are hospitalized for wounds that are not life-threatening, Klein said.

Investigators say they have evidence that Su and at least one other victim were involved in street gang activity. Klein said the gang associations are still under investigation.

“Asian gangs are very seldom turf oriented,” Klein said. “In most cases, the two groups are rivals from different geographical locations. One or more of the victims had a recent altercation with one or more of the suspects.”