Washington: Eight people, including teenagers, were injured in a shooting in Los Angeles County, authorities said on June 17. Two are in critical condition, CNN reported. Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputies responded on early June 17 to a report of multiple gunshot victims at a residence in Carson, about 17 miles south of Los Angeles.
The shooting happened outside of a home in a cul-de-sac where between 20 to 30 people were believed to have been gathered, deputies said at a news conference.
According to Chief Myron Johnson of the Sheriff’s Department Countywide Services Division, the victims’ ages ranged from 16 to 24. “(They) were discovered to have multiple gunshot wounds throughout their bodies, including injuries to their heads, back and upper and lower body area,” Johnson said, as per CNN.
Deputies found that five victims were shot and were told by a witness that two other victims were taken to a hospital before authorities arrived, according to Johnson. Shortly after responding to the initial call, deputies learned that a vehicle had crashed a quarter of a mile away from the site of the mass shooting.
Johnson said: “When deputies arrived, they found that a male Hispanic (who is) 16-years-old was suffering from a gunshot wound to his upper body.”
He said one of the six non-critical victims has been released from the hospital and all victims are expected to survive. Although the motive was not immediately clear, Lt. Rick Conti said they were told that “there might have been a fight before the shooting,” and they do not think the general public is in danger.
“We don’t believe there’s a wild gunman just randomly shooting people,” Conti said, as per CNN. No arrests have been made. The incident is among 303 mass shootings to occur so far in 2023, according to the Gun Violence Archive.
On June 18 a Pennsylvania state trooper was killed in a shootout with a suspect who earlier had confronted police at a state barracks, where another officer was injured, authorities said. Police said the suspect “engaged” and confronted officers at a barracks in Mifflintown Borough, about 45 miles northwest of the state capital, Harrisburg, about 12:45 p.m.
A trooper was struck by gunfire and hospitalized with serious injuries, state police said in a statement. The suspect fled, and officers mounted a search that led to Walker Township, in the same county, Juniata, shortly before 3 p.m., state police said. Troopers exchanged gunfire with the suspect, and the gunman and one trooper died, the agency said.
On June 13 at least nine people were injured in a mass shooting in downtown Denver, police said, as crowds gathered to celebrate the Nuggets’ first NBA championship. Shots were fired from “multiple firearms” during an altercation involving several people, police said, hours after the Nuggets defeated the Miami Heat at the Ball Arena less than a mile away.
The gunfire was reported in the 2000 block of Market Street, police said, near the intersection with 20th Street. Hundreds of fans had packed the intersection and surrounding streets to celebrate the NBA title, video shows.
Nine people were shot, five remain hospitalised, Denver Health Medical Center trauma surgeon Eric Campion said. “Our strong belief is that this is completely unassociated to the celebration,” Police Chief Ron Thomas said.
Instead, police said the shooting may have been drug related. Large amounts of cash and “a significant quantity of fentanyl pills” were found in the area, according to Denver Police Major Crimes Division Commander Matt Clark.
Two men have been taken into custody in relation to the incident. Ricardo Vasquez, 22, is being held on charges of possession of a weapon by a previous offender and possession of a controlled substance. Raoul Jones, 33, is being held on a charge of possession of a weapon by a previous offender, according to Clark. Additional charges may be added as the investigation continues, Clark said. (With Inputs ANI)
