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A man was shot at an intersection while driving his pickup truck in Playa Vista last night. He continued driving, crashing into several parked cars before he finally died over a mile from where he was shot.
Tomas Gomez, 21, was identified as the victim of the shooting, according to City News Service. He was initially shot in his silver Dodge Ram pickup near Inglewood and Jefferson boulevards, but he was found in his truck at the 4700 block of Slauson Avenue near Braddock in Del Rey around 8:25 p.m.
Witnesses say Gomez was shot at least a half dozen times and he rammed several cars at a red light in an effort to get away from the shooter, according to NBC Los Angeles. No others were injured as Gomez tried to flee the scene, crashing into parked cars. Investigators say that surveillance footage might help them track down the suspect. Police believe that this shooting was targeted but it's too soon to say whether it is gang-related. Gomez leaves behind a daughter.
Violent crime is pretty rare in Playa Vista. The last homicide in the neighborhood, according to the Los Angeles Times' homicide map, happened in 2011. The shooting happened just a half-mile down the street from Playa Vista's luxury movie theater that just opened last week.
Witnesses haven't been able to offer an ID of the suspect or car. Anyone with information on the crime was urged to call West Bureau homicide detectives at (213) 382-9470, or (877) LAPD-247.
