A man was shot with a shotgun early Wednesday on the 6300 block of Van Nuys Boulevard, near the Van Nuys Civic Center, and the gunman remains at large. Officers responded to a shooting call at 5:47 a.m. and found the victim suffering from a gunshot wound; as of 7 a.m. Wednesday, his condition was unknown.
The shooting was reported per an LAPD spokesperson, as detailed by KTLA, which first reported the incident. A preliminary investigation determined the man had been shot with a shotgun, according to the LAPD. He was taken to a hospital following the shooting, and police are now searching for a Hispanic man believed to be approximately 27 years old in connection with the attack.
A Shooting Steps From LAPD's Own Front Door
What makes the location striking is its proximity to law enforcement itself. The shooting unfolded near the Van Nuys Civic Center, which houses local, state and federal law enforcement offices, per the same KTLA report. LAPD Online also identifies the LAPD's Van Nuys Community Police Station.
The 6300 block of Van Nuys Boulevard also borders the broader Van Nuys Civic Center plaza, according to the City of Los Angeles. The shooting occurred in that administrative area, even as the shooter managed to escape before officers arrived.
According to Los Angeles City Planning, the Van Nuys Civic Center boundaries include historic buildings that the city plan encourages the government to continue using. City Administrative Officer budget materials identify a capital program for the Van Nuys Civic Center, formerly the Marvin Braude Building, including funding for capital repairs.
Part of a Troubling Pattern Along the Boulevard
This is not the first outbreak of gun violence along the Van Nuys Boulevard corridor in recent memory. On August 3, 30-year-old Jorge Hernandez Arteaga was shot to death near Murrieta and Hazeltine avenues, just blocks east of the same commercial strip, with responding officers initially answering an ambulance call before finding him deceased in the street. In February 2024, a 24-year-old man was killed in an early-morning shooting on the 9000 block of Van Nuys Boulevard in neighboring Panorama City.
Investigations into major shootings across Van Nuys and six surrounding San Fernando Valley community divisions fall under the specialized oversight of LAPD's Operation Valley Bureau Homicide Unit, based in Panorama City, which coordinates detective resources across all seven Valley divisions. LAPD's COMPSTAT statistics can offer a localized snapshot of homicide activity in the Van Nuys Division, even as citywide numbers have moved in a different direction.
Citywide Homicides Down, But Valley Gun Violence Persists
The Wednesday shooting stands in some contrast to the broader trend LAPD touted earlier this year. In February, LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell reported in the department's annual crime data release that Los Angeles saw a 19 percent drop in homicides in 2025 compared to the prior year, reaching the city's lowest annual homicide total since 1966.
Still, incidents like Wednesday's shotgun attack underscore that firearm violence continues to surface along Van Nuys Boulevard even as citywide totals fall. Victims of assault in the area have access to specialized support through Dignity Health Northridge Hospital Medical Center's Center for Assault Treatment Services, which operates 24 hours and offers health and social-work services alongside LAPD investigations across the San Fernando Valley.
Potential Charges If Suspect Is Caught
Should investigators identify and arrest a suspect, potential charges and penalties would remain to be determined.
Any charges and sentencing enhancements would depend on the facts and charges established in the case. No suspect has been named, and the condition of the victim as well as the motive behind the shooting remain unknown as the investigation continues.
