UPDATED: Police were seeking two or three male suspects in the fatal shooting of a young man at the intersection of North Benton Way and West Temple Street in Echo Park Monday night, police told Patch.
The victim, described as a Hispanic male in his teens who was on foot, was shot about 7:25 p.m. and was declared dead at the scene; detectives were still working on identifying him as of 9:30 p.m.
The suspects fled in an unknown direction in what may have been a black Toyota Camry, police said. Several witnesses reported hearing gunshots and were being interviewed by police Monday night.
Asked if the shooting was possibly gang related, Lt. Cory Palka of the LAPD Rampart Division said that the investigation was considering whether it involved a gang or tagging crew.
The shooting occurred in front of what was the old LAPD Rampart Division headquarters building.
As of 9:30 p.m., about 10 uniformed LAPD officers and detectives were on scene and police helicopters patrolled the sky overhead in search of the suspects.
At one point, a group of youths approached officers at the crime scene, asking if they could ID the victim and wondering if he was one of their friends.
EARLIER: One person was shot dead Monday night on a sidewalk in Echo Park, and L.A. police were seeking multiple suspects, according to City News Service.
The shooting reportedly took place at 7:25 p.m. near North Benton Way and West Temple Street, Los Angeles police Officer Karen Rayner told CNS.
The wire service reported that police were looking for three or four suspects who may have been in a black Toyota Camry.
Patch is heading to the scene to find out more and will post it as we get more information. In the meantime, if you have any information, photos or video, please post it here or e-mail us.
