Two children, ages 10 and 4, were killed in a shooting in Los Angeles on Sunday after their father allegedly shot them and himself, according to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). The 35-year-old suspect is in custody and receiving treatment at a hospital.
Officers from the LAPD’s Olympic Division responded to a report of a shooting around 12:49 p.m. near the intersection of Venice Boulevard and Catalina Street in the Pico-Union neighborhood, according to a police statement released Monday. The call initially reported an “Ambulance Shooting.”
When officers arrived, they found the 2 children suffering from gunshot wounds. Police also found the suspected shooter with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. The victims were identified as an 11-year-old girl and a 4-year-old boy in the police statement.
All 3 were transported to local hospitals by Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics. Despite medical efforts, both children died from their injuries. The suspect remained in custody while receiving treatment at a hospital. His condition has not been publicly disclosed.
The shooting occurred near Loyola High School in the Pico-Union area. Witness accounts reported by local media described a woman on an L.A. Metro bus seeing the shooting and calling for the bus to stop in hopes that the children could be helped.
Metro said it was cooperating with the investigation after police requested video footage from a bus that was passing through the area and may have captured the incident, according to a statement sent to KTLA.
Police said the circumstances surrounding the shooting remain under investigation. No additional suspects are being sought, and authorities said there is no ongoing threat to the community.
The LAPD’s Juvenile Division is handling the investigation. Police have not publicly disclosed a motive for the shooting or released further details about what led to the deaths.
Authorities are asking anyone with information about the case to contact LAPD Detective Wilfredo Ortiz at 213-486-0530. Anonymous tips can also be submitted through L.A. Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).