Domestic Dispute In Highland Park Turns Violent
HIGHLAND PARK (CBSLA) — Police were investigating a shooting Saturday in the 600 block of Avenue 65 in Highland Park.
LAPD said a suspect was in custody -- described as a man in his 30s.
The conditions of the victims was not confirmed.
The focus of the investigation was on the second floor of an apartment building at the intersection of Pollard Street and North Avenue 65.
LAPD described a terrifying situation. Police say the first thing they saw when they got there was a group of small children, ages 4 to 7, unhurt but drenched in blood.
Police say a violent family fight broke out at the apartment.
Sky9 was overheard shortly after police got here just after 3 p.m. on reports of shots fired — within minutes officers had called for back-up and multiple ambulances after encountering the disturbing scene.
"As officers are arriving, they're going upstairs to the 600 block of Avenue 65 at this apartment complex, and they see four children running out covered in blood. So obviously in the minute of the officers, this was an active shooter," said LAPD Sgt. Frank Preciado.
Officers entered and say the suspect lunged at them. He was not armed and they were able to get him under control immediately. Then they found two adult victims, both stabbed.
"The suspect that came here was uninvited. Now I don't know if this was a family gathering or a party of some kind but things went sideways. He armed himself with a kitchen knife from inside the residence and then attacked his mother and his brother," said Preciado.
Police say the brother then got a gun and shot the suspect once in the leg.
They say the blood on the children appeared to be from the grandmother and the brother who were attacked. Again the children were not physically harmed and are with family. Police say an adult sister was also in the apartment but she was not hurt.
A neighbor who was there when it happened says he thought he heard what sounded like a gunshot. When he came out he saw the sister and grandmother in the windows yelling for help and called police.
There was no word on the condition of the mother and brother Saturday night. The suspect who was shot is in critical condition.