News / Society

Three killed, 12 wounded in mass shooting in Los Angeles

Saturday, 15 October 2016 5:50 PM [ Last Update: Saturday, 15 October 2016 7:31 PM ]

Screen grab of the shooting scene from a Los Angeles Times video.

Three people have been shot dead and a dozen others wounded after an early morning argument at a party triggered a mass shooting in Los Angeles, police say.

The gunfire occurred early on Saturday in southwest Los Angeles, at a home that was serving as a makeshift restaurant, where about 50 people were holding the party, said Los Angeles Police Department Officer, Frank Preciado.

“It’s a bloody scene with shell casings everywhere,” he added.

“When we got there. there were three people dead and people running everywhere,” Preciado said. “We had multiple people with gunshot wounds.”

The owner of the restaurant, identified only as Dilly, said he was hosting a birthday party when the shooting occurred.

At least 12 people were seriously wounded. Their conditions range from critical to stable, according to another police officer, Mike Lopez.

Lopez said two possible suspects were being questioned. He said a man and a woman left the party after the argument and later returned and the gunfire erupted.

"From what I understand, they're the ones responsible for the shooting," he added.

A firearm was also recovered at the scene, he said.

Crime has been on rise in Los Angeles this year, according to The Los Angeles Times’ Crime L.A. database.

The figures show through July 16, overall crime rose 6.3 percent in the city compared with the same period last year.

The West Adams district has only been the scene of 109 violent crimes over the last six months, according police.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), firearms are the cause of death for more than 33,000 people in the US every year, a number that includes accidental discharge, murder, and suicides.

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