An innocent victim meeting a stray bullet is not a completely unexpected occurrence in any of the regions detailed on the LAPD's gang injunction map (view the PDF).
But it is not often that bullets are sprayed on an unsuspecting crowd (of mostly kids) at a bus stop at 3:15 on a sunny Wednesday afternoon, which is what occurred earlier near Vernon and Central in South LA.
Three girls, ages 10, 11 and 12, and a 49-year-old woman were in stable condition and were expected to recover, police Lt. Ruben De La Torre said. A 12-year-old girl, a 14-year-old boy and two men, ages 48 and 68, had minor injuries. -- AP
The gunmen, a black man in his early 20's wearing a white shirt, got off a bus and began firing, wounding eight including five youths aged 10-15, then fled the scene.
Police believed the suspect was involved with a gang in the area. A local storeowner told the LA Times that gang activity often occurs between 2 and 5 p.m. in the area.
UPDATE 2/29: Billy Ray Hines, a 24-year-old member of the Crips gang, was accused of opening fire at the bus stop and was arrested yesterday.
AP Photo/Nick Ut
