A police investigation into a gunfight on the 405 Freeway in the Sepulveda Pass Thursday morning stranded drivers for hours who needed to get to work, LAX, school and more.
A red Ford Mustang on the side of the freeway and objects on lanes were what officers were focusing on as they canvassed a stretch of the freeway with cars lined up for miles at a standstill.
At a 12:40 p.m. news conference, hours after drivers had been stranded, CHP officer Jose Barrios provided an update, explaining how the shooting unfolded.
CHP said officers saw a red Mustang on the side of lanes with airbags deployed, and they saw a man outside of the car. When they approached, they saw the man reach into the car, pull out a gun and start firing. They returned fire, and struck the man.
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CHP said no officers were hit, but the man was taken to the hospital. They did not have an update on his condition.
They also said there were no words exchanged before the gunfight, and that everything happened very fast.
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When asked why it took so long to release information, CHP said because it was an officer involved shooting, they were not releasing details until investigators could do their jobs.
Lanes began opening up later into the afternoon on the 405 South.
By 1 p.m., all lanes had finally reopened.
The backup in the early morning hours was extensive on the 405 South at Skirball Center Drive. The backup extended all the way to the 118 Freeway.
All lanes were shut down, but the northbound side began to move slowly just before 5 a.m.
Southbound traffic was being diverted at Valley Vista.
Alternative Routes
Sepulveda is a possible alternative route, but it's getting busier by the minute.
Other possible alternatives are the South 170, Laurel Canyon or Coldwater Canyon.
It wasn't clear when the SigAlert would clear. Lanes were still shut down as of 9 a.m.
Los Angeles International Airport officials said FlyAway bus service that carries passengers from Van Nuys to the airport was being delayed by at least 90 minutes.
