Guns and cars are in the headlines this morning thanks to several Southland crimes last night that are being investigated in the morning light. First, in East L.A., a large house party was held last night on the 500 block of South Hoefner. It had been promoted by fliers and handouts all over. But in the midnight hour things turned deadly when a suspect opened fire with a handgun, striking 18-year-old Jeffrey Alvarado "in the upper body and wounding two others -- one man in the arm, the other man in the leg," according to cbs2.com.

Gunfire is also behind the mysterious death of a driver who was found near Downtown overnight at a crash scene at Venice and Magnolia Avenue. Upon investigation, authorities discovered the man had been shot prior to the accident.

And in his driveway in Downey last night, 33-year-old Christopher Lee Hamilton was fatally shot by unknown assailants. Police are asking for help in determining who killed Hamilton; currently no witnesses are reporting seeing any suspicious vehicles or individuals who may have fired the shots. Meanwhile, OC Sheriffs are looking for information about a hit-and-run accident that took place in Stanton last night that appears to be deliberate. A brown Honda Accord struck a man near the intersection of Regal Avenue and Mac Street who apparently had just left a local bar.

Photo by K. Moriarty via LAist Featured Photos Pool on Flickr