A gunman opened fire in a Mid City strip mall on Wednesday night, wounding one man, and shattering a window that showered particles of broken glass on customers in a sandwich shop, causing cuts to the arm of a woman dining with her children.
They and other patrons ran for cover after the gunfire erupted around 9:15 p.m. in the 8500 block of Venice Boulevard at La Cienga Boulevard. The wounded man had been struck twice and was transported by paramedics. His wounds were not life-threatening and he is expected to recover, according to Detective Stanley Evans of the Los Angeles Police Department West LA Division.
The woman was treated at the scene.
The unidentified gunman approached an unarmed man outside a Mini Mart store and fired four times, Evans said. In security camera video not yet made public, the gunman could be seen through the store's front door in a combat stance, holding the gun with both hands.
"Whether words were exchanged, we don't know," Detective Evans said. What promoted the shooting was not immediately clear.
Initial reports indicated the shots were fired from a car, but on Thursday, Evans said the gunman fled on foot, and no vehicle was seen leaving the mall area at the time.
In years past, there has been significant gang presence in nearby residential areas. However, shopkeepers and neighbors said the gang influence has eased considerably in recent years. A crime map to which the LAPD links showed no othe significant activity the past week.
