A 14-year-old boy is recovering in stable condition after being shot near the armpit late Sunday night in Los Angeles’ Mid-City neighborhood, in what police describe as an accidental shooting that happened while a group of teenagers was playing with a handgun. The boy was rushed to a hospital and is expected to survive, but reports differ on whether anyone has been taken into custody.
According to ABC7, the incident unfolded around 10:45 p.m. at a home on Venice Boulevard, when the teens were reportedly playing with the gun and it went off, striking one of them. The station reported that the victim was taken to the hospital in stable condition. MyNewsLA reported the shooting happened in an apartment at 4630 Venice Boulevard near Vineyard Avenue, citing a Los Angeles Police Department spokeswoman who spoke with City News Service, while KTLA placed the shooting in the 4600 block of Venice Boulevard, where officers responded to a report of assault with a deadly weapon.
Police Say Gun Discharged While Kids Were Showing It Off
Per the same account from MyNewsLA, it appeared one of the children was showing off the handgun when it discharged, according to the LAPD spokeswoman. That matches the broader description from police that the shooter had been playing with the gun when it fired. The boy suffered a gunshot wound and was listed as having non-life-threatening injuries, per the LAPD spokesperson cited by KTLA.
The outlets also diverge on what happened to the other teen involved. MyNewsLA reported that officers took a 16-year-old girl into custody, according to the LAPD spokeswoman. KTLA, however, reported that the suspect fled the scene and remains at large. Those two versions of events have not been reconciled, and it is not clear from available reporting whether a suspect was actually detained or is still being sought.
What Remains Unknown
Neither report has identified the victim by name, nor have officials released booking information, formal charges, or further details about how the firearm came to be in the teenagers’ possession. The circumstances of the gun’s ownership and whether it was legally possessed have not been addressed in available reporting. Hoodline will update this story as more information becomes available.
