LAPD investigating double fatal shooting at Dodgers celebration in Sylmar

Two people were fatally shot during an outdoor celebration in Sylmar after the Dodgers’ World Series win Tuesday night, spurring calls from Los Angeles police for the public’s help in identifying suspects.

One victim was a man. An LAPD spokesman said the second victim was also male, but that he did not know his age as of Thursday. Neither was publicly identified, pending notification of their families.

According to the LAPD, the shooting occurred shortly before midnight Tuesday, at a time when 30 to 40 people were gathered near the intersection of Polk Street and Glenoaks Boulevard to celebrate the Dodgers’ victory over the Tamp Bay Rays.

A preliminary investigation by detectives determined that drivers were doing doughnuts in the street when two individuals approached and smashed out the windows of one of the vehicles with baseball bats before fleeing north along Glenoaks.

They were followed by “several members of the crowd and the vandalized vehicle,” police said. “Gunshots rang out and two victims were struck by the gunfire.”

Police said it was not clear if the individuals who were shot were the people who had smashed the vehicle with the bats. They were not occupants of the vehicle.

Both victims were taken to a hospital, where they were pronounced dead. Their deaths add to a surge in homicides this year in L.A., which is on pace to see more than 300 killings for the first time since 2009.

Anyone with information about the incident, including any video or pictures, is asked to call the Valley Bureau’s homicide detectives at (818) 374-9550 during business hours or 1-877-LAPD-24-7 after hours or on the weekend. Anonymous tips can be provided to LA Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.