More than two dozen people were injured when a vehicle crashed into a Los Angeles crowd in the early morning of Saturday, July 19, authorities said.
Officials responded to a call of shots fired at about 2 a.m. and discovered a chaotic scene in East Hollywood, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. One person was removed from a nearby business, who was determined to be the driver of a vehicle that ran into the crowd, Officer Jay Chaves told USA TODAY. Investigators learned that bystanders became involved in a “physical altercation” with the driver, who was shot.
“When officers arrived, they found the driver being assaulted by bystanders and determined he had sustained a gunshot wound,” the police department said in a statement.
A total of 30 people were medically assessed, Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson Brian Humphrey told USA TODAY. Seven people were in critical condition, six were in serious condition and 10 were in fair condition, the Los Angeles Fire Department said in a statement. At least seven others who were injured were not transported to hospitals for treatment, the fire department said.
The driver of the vehicle was among the critically injured patients and was transported to a hospital to undergo surgery, Humphrey said.
The shooting suspect was at-large and described as a Hispanic male, about 5-foot-9 and 180 pounds, bald and wearing a blue jersey and possibly armed with a silver revolver, police said.
The fire department had over 120 personnel working the scene. Humphrey said each person injured had a “team” of first responders treating and transporting them.
“This is a heartbreaking tragedy,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said. “The hearts of all Angelenos are with East Hollywood this morning and those impacted – a full investigation will be conducted into what happened.”
The cause of the crash is unclear, the police department said. Earlier reports about the cause of the crash were made in error by the fire department, Humphrey said.
(This story has been updated to add new information.)
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Vehicle crashes into crowd in Los Angeles; 2 dozen injuries reported
