Boyle Heights became the latest flashpoint in Los Angeles's saga of gun violence Monday afternoon, when three young individuals fell victim to a burst of gunfire that pierced the usual clamor of the neighborhood, according to KTLA. Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers and the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) were dispatched to the 400 block of North Soto Street at Folsom Street around 4 p.m. on reports of a shooting involving multiple casualties.
The victims, described in a statement obtained by KTLA as a 15-year-old, a 16-year-old, and an 18-year-old, were subsequently taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries; one of them was reported to be in critical condition by CBS News Los Angeles, as traffic ground to a halt and a tether of yellow tape sealed off parts of the neighborhood. An LAPD spokesperson told Boyle Heights Beat that a suspect, a heavyset male adorned in a tie-dye sweatshirt and blue pants, last seen driving a gray BMW sedan northbound on Soto Street, had been identified.
While details concerning the engagement of the victims with the suspect are still emerging, the proximity of the shooting to a local learning center on North Soto Street gives the incident an added layer of disquiet, as conveyed by aerial footage from KTLA showing a pronounced police deployment in the zone. The authorities have suggested a link to gang activities and an active investigation is pursuing all leads.
