2 people killed, 5 others wounded after shooting in Lancaster

Two people died and five others were wounded after a shooting in Lancaster Wednesday night, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. 

The shooting happened at about 6 p.m. in the 800 block of Avenue J-12. When deputies arrived to the scene, they found two men suffering from gunshot wounds who were rushed to a nearby hospital where they were pronounced dead, sheriff's officials said.

Shortly after that call, deputies received other reports of gunshot victims coming into the emergency room of a hospital in the area, the department said in a news release. In total, deputies discovered five more victims who have all been listed in stable condition.

"All victims were at the same location when the shooting first occurred," the LASD news release states.

Homicide detectives believe the shooting is gang-related and are still working on identifying suspects as they continue to investigate, according to LASD. 

It marks the fourth shooting in the Lancaster area in two days. On Tuesday, two people were killed during three separate shootings.

Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris said Thursday morning that he has reached out to the state Attorney General's office. Parris alleged Wednesday night's shooting was rooted in gang violence as LASD has said investigators believe it was gang-related.

"These gangs turned our city into a warzone last night -- let's not make any mistake about that," Parris said. "In those residential neighborhoods, we had people with assault weapons spraying the neighborhood. That's why we had seven people down."  

Deputies could not confirm if the shootings were connected. Investigators urged anyone with information on the shootings to contact detectives at (323) 890-5500. Those wishing to stay anonymous can call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477 or the website.