Youth Wounded in Gang Dispute
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A Los Angeles youth was critically wounded after gunfire capped a dispute between rival gangs in the Walnut Park area, authorities said Saturday.
Alejando Lopez, 19, was on life-support systems at Martin Luther King Jr./Drew Medical Center after being shot once in the chest Friday about 11:30 p.m. by a rival gang member, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Dean Scoville said.
The two gangs were arguing at Alix Avenue and Nadeau Street when Avelardo Chavez, 19, allegedly drew a .22-caliber revolver and fired four shots at Lopez, Scoville said.
Sheriff’s deputies heard the gunfire and chased a vehicle with Chavez and several companions fleeing from the scene, Scoville said. The suspects abandoned the vehicle in South Gate, where authorities recovered the vehicle with the weapon inside, he said.
Two juveniles, whose names were not released, were later booked on suspicion of attempted murder, Scoville said. The two were being held in a juvenile detention center in Downey as accomplices.
Investigators are still seeking Chavez and another young man allegedly connected with the shooting, the deputy said.
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