Duplex on Ave. 53 Shot At Early Sunday Morning

Police are investigating a shooting that took place at the intersection of Ave. 53 and Marmion Way early Sunday morning, during which nobody was injured but a duplex was sprayed with bullets.

Detective Rick Ortiz of LAPD's gang unit said the first step of the investigation would be to determine if any gang members lived in the house.

"There could have been a shooting in the street and the shooters missed their target and struck the house. They may have also shot the wrong house," Ortiz said. "We need to find out if gang members live in the house, that's the first step."

When told that the bullets appeared to be scattered about the house, Ortiz said that suggested the house may have been targeted, and not the victim of collateral damage. 

"That whole little Monte Vista Street area, it has been heating up in there," Ortiz said. "Our violent crime is way down--30 percent for the whole year--but this last month we've had several incidents in that area."

Ortiz said that, prior to Saturday's shooting, the area surrounding the incident had actually enjoyed a peaceful week.

"We've had a few guys get shot, and those probably were the active guys," Ortiz said. "They're probably laid up in the hospital or at home with injuries."

Asked what sparked the recent spike in violence along the Avenues between Monte Vista Street and Marmion Way, Ortiz said he was short on answers for now.

"Not really, it doesn't take much to start up like that," Ortiz said. "Something
happened, I don't know what."