A man was killed and two others were wounded early Friday afternoon in a shooting in the parking lot of a church in Compton where a funeral was taking place.
The gunfire was reported about 1:10 p.m. in the 1900 block of East Compton Boulevard, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Information Bureau.
Deputies were first called to the Holy Trinity Baptist Church at 1919 E. Compton Blvd., at the intersection of Holly Avenue to investigate reports of an argument broke out at a well-attended funeral and had escalated into a fight and learned while en route that shots had been fired, Lt. Derrick Alfred of the Sheriff's Homicide Bureau said.
Upon arrival they found men with gunshot wounds, Alfred said. A man was pronounced dead and two other victims were found nearby. Both were taken to a hospital and were in stable condition, according to Alfred.
One of the wounded victims ran into the street, possibly resulting in a vehicle collision that occurred near the church, Alfred said. The shooter, described only as a male, remained at large, he said, adding that detectives were securing surveillance video and interviewing witnesses.
"Somebody definitely knows who this was who shot these people," Alfred said.
Detectives learned that while a funeral was taking place in the church, an argument broke out and those involved stepped out into the parking lot, where the dispute "escalated into a fight involving multiple individuals," according to a sheriff's department statement.
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"An unknown person produced a handgun and fired multiple rounds," officials said. "The three victims were struck and the suspect fled on foot."
A detailed description of the gunman, who remained outstanding along with the weapon used in the shooting, was not immediately available.
