A 36-year-old man was shot and killed in the early hours of Monday morning near a church in the Pacoima neighborhood of Los Angeles, and police are actively pursuing an investigation into the homicide. The Los Angeles Police Department reported that the shooting occurred just before 3:15 a.m. in the 11900 block of Dronfield Avenue at Vaughn Street, with several gunshots heard in the area. Paramedics who rushed to the scene attempted to perform CPR on the victim, but he was pronounced dead at the location, as detailed in a news release by the LAPD and later by KTLA.

The crowd had gathered for a viewing when an argument unexpectedly broke out, spilling into the street where the victim, later identified as Joseph Rojas by the Los Angeles County Office of Medical Examiner, was shot. The shooting is possibly gang-related, indicating the possibility of a deeper, more sinister context tied to the incident. The suspect or suspects managed to quickly escape the scene before the authorities arrived, a detail confirmed by FOX LA.

Authorities have not released any information regarding a suspect or suspects, as the investigation continues. Detective Sadeh of the LAPD's Valley Bureau Homicide Division is leading the inquiries into the shooting. A plea for public assistance has been issued, asking anyone with information related to the incident to step forward and contact the authorities. Those wishing to share information can do so by calling the LAPD or anonymously through Crime Stoppers.