Last night, Long Beach saw a surge in violent incidents, including two shootings and an assault that necessitated the activation of SWAT resources. According to the Long Beach Police Department Blotter, the first event unfolded late on September 20, when officers were called to the 1700 block of San Francisco Avenue. There, they found a man with a gunshot wound to the upper body. Police provided first aid before Long Beach Fire Department personnel arrived to transport the victim to a hospital where he was listed in stable condition. As of now, the shooter remains unidentified and the investigation is ongoing.
Hours later, in the early morning hours of Saturday, officers were dispatched to a no-hit shooting on the 800 block of Harding Street. An unharmed man reported that a suspect in a white sedan fired at him while he stood outside his vehicle. The suspect had fled by the time authorities arrived, and as with the earlier incident, the motive and identity of the suspect are not known. The LBPD continues its investigation into this incident, which adds to a disturbing trend of gun violence in the area.
The third incident occurred nearly simultaneously at 5:35 A.M. in the 1700 block of Magnolia Avenue. Here, the officers discovered another man with injuries to his upper body after an assault. Following the assault, the suspected assailant barricaded himself, prompting the deployment of SWAT. The victim was attended to by officers and paramedics, who ensured his transfer to an area hospital. The standoff situation and subsequent investigations were detailed as active by police representatives, leaving community members on edge as the event progressed.
