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Gang-Related Shooting Interrupts Anti-Gang Park Event
Photo of a park lit up at night by melissssaf via the LAist Featured Photos pool
Clearly, someone did not get the memo about the purpose of the "Summer Night Lights" program, which is meant to encourage safe, summertime evening park use in order to reduce gang violence. Shots rang out in Wilmington last night, interrupting the exodus of about 30 people from a "SNL" gathering at Wilmington Recreation Center, leaving two wounded.
"Police say a suspect pulled up in a car with several other people, then got out and fired several shots into a crowd before driving away," reports KTLA. Bullets struck an 18-year-old man and a 15-year-old girl. Both were taken to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center for treatment.
The Los Angeles Police Department say they believe this shooting was gang-related. The only description of the suspect is that he is a male Hispanic who drove a dark car.
This is not the first time this summer gang violence has spoiled the serenity of a "Summer Night Lights" gathering. On July 13, a gang-related shooting took place outside Van Ness Park. The incident was witnessed by actors Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena, who were doing a ride-along for role research.
The duo of shootings within one week's time already has people questioning if the "Summer Night Lights" program is really working. The program began in 2008, and was expanded in 2009.
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