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The Echo Beefs Up Security after Shooting that Injured 3 [Updated]
A performance at The Echo | Photo: carlos ※ rossi/LAist Featured Photos
A performance at The Echo | Photo: carlos ※ rossi/LAist Featured Photos
Following a early Monday morning shooting outside their doors, owners of The Echo have taken steps to bring more security to the popular Echo Park music venue. But some music fans are unsure what to think. "So am I risking my life going to shows at The Echo?" asked one LAist reader in a message. "Is it a sketch part of town? Or is this shooting a fluke -- someone hating on indie rock?"
On The Echo's webpage, a posted message hopes to assuage those kinds of fears. "Please be assured that safety is our first priority and to ease the concerns of our patrons, The Echo will have additional security and street patrols in place for upcoming shows."
On Monday morning after 2 a.m., a group leaving the venue on Sunset Boulevard was shot at, possibly by a man on a motorcycle. Three were hit and one remained in the hospital in critical condition yesterday afternoon. The other two -- one hit in the arm, the other grazed in the head -- were treated and released.
Jesus Sanchez at The Eastsider LA spoke to LAPD Detective Rick Ramos who was able to provide some preliminary information. The motorcyclist, described as 5′-8″ to 5′-11″ and 200 to 230 pounds, may have been connected to Hell's Angels'. But some conflicting information indicates the shots may have come from a person or persons seen running into vehicles that sped off.
[Update: "At this point and time we don't have any motive for the shooting," explained Ramos to LAist over the phone. "We're just trying to gather information at this time -- we have a whole list of witnesses."
Ramos said the shooter was not sitting on a motorcycle at the time of the incident. "He was in the middle of the street shooting towards the victims," he said. Whether or not the suspect got onto a motorcycle to flee the scene or not has not been corroborated. There was, however, someone at the scene who left on a motorcycle possibly wearing a Hells' Angels jacket or something with their logo, but Ramos warned that assumptions shouldn't be made at this point.]
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The music venue's message also states that they are "deeply saddened by the events that occurred outside" their venue and "are concerned about the well being of those injured." Venue staff could not comment any further regarding details of the incident.
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