A man was arrested and booked on a murder charge Friday in connection with a fatal shooting, one of several that rocked the Palms area of Los Angeles in quick succession this week, police said.
Five people were hit by gunfire Thursday in the shootings on LA's Westside that put the Los Angeles Police Department on high alert. One of the wounded men died.
James Pickens, a 35-year-old from Inglewood, was booked on murder and attempted murder charges Friday night at 11:46 p.m., according to a LAPD statement released Saturday.
Pickens is being held on $1 million bail.
Justin Aguilar was gunned down near Woodbine Park Thursday, one of three people hit by gunfire there, officials said. Moments after the park shooting, another man was shot and critically
wounded at the intersection of Motor and Vinton avenues.
Two more people were shot 20 minutes later at Overland Avenue and National Boulevard, police said.
The shootings sent the LAPD into a tactical alert and put two schools on lockdown.
Police located the vehicle seen driving away from Woodbine Park after the shooting, said the statement released Saturday.
But the motive for the Thursday shootings near Cheviot Hills was not made public, nor was a clear narrative of exactly what happened.
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Four other people were injured in the shootings, which have not yet been linked. The investigation into the shootings, which may be gang related, is ongoing, and police encourage anyone with information about the incidents to call 213-382-9470.
City News Serivce contributed to this report.
