According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, a vehicle collided into a throng waiting in queue outside an East Hollywood nightclub early Saturday, injuring at least 30 individuals, seven of them gravely. According to Los Angeles Police Department Captain Ben Fernandes, the driver was ejected out of The Vermont Hollywood before to the event because he was unruly.
“From review of the video he went up to the sidewalk further down and when he hit bystanders it was an intentional act,” Fernandes told the Los Angeles Times. “He was pulled from the car, handcuffed by security and then beaten by bystanders before being shot in the back by an individual from across the street.”
Arriving firefighters discovered that a vehicle had driven into a big crowd in front of The Vermont Hollywood music venue. “They drove through a taco stand, the valet podium, and then through the crowd of people waiting to go inside,” said Capt. Adam VanGerpen, the Los Angeles City Fire Department’s public relations officer. “It was a very chaotic scene,” VanGerpen explained.
According to Jeff Lee, public relations officer with the Los Angeles Police Department, after the automobile came to a stop, spectators pulled the driver out and violently beat him. During the altercation, one of the spectators shot the driver, Lee claimed. Police suspect the driver was inebriated, according to a law enforcement person who was previously briefed on the matter.
Beyond the driver’s impairment, there is no indication of any other criminal purpose or connection to terrorism, according to the official at the time. According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, seven patients were transported in critical condition, six in serious condition, and ten in fair condition. According to the department, seven patients declined transport after being examined on-scene. According to Lillian Carranza, an LAPD commander, the victims included 18 women and 12 men between the ages of mid-20s and early-30s. According to VanGerpen, patients with fractured bones and soft tissue injuries were evacuated to relevant trauma centres and adjacent hospitals, with one victim also suffering from a gunshot wound.
Los Angeles police officers were initially dispatched to the scene on a report of an assault with a deadly weapon and found a vehicle had driven into the crowd “for reasons unknown,” with the driver being assaulted by bystanders, according to police.
Once first responders were able to access the driver, they provided medical treatment and discovered the gunshot wound, according to police.
“One of our paramedics … when they started doing their secondary assessment of the patient, they identified a gunshot,” VanGerpen said.
The driver was transported and is undergoing surgery, but is in stable condition, according to police.
“However, he is not permitted to leave. He is in the custody of the Los Angeles Police Department, and we are investigating crimes such as attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon at this time,” Carranza stated. The male shooting suspect, dressed in a blue jersey, escaped, according to the LAPD. Police suspect a silver revolver was used in the shooting. “We consider him armed and dangerous right now,” Lee informed the crowd. “This is a heartbreaking tragedy,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass stated Saturday morning. “I want to thank the more than 100 LAFD and LAPD personnel who responded to the scene to help to save lives.” Angelenos’ hearts go out to all of the individuals affected this morning – a comprehensive inquiry into what happened.
Multiple injured people were treated on the street and pavement, according to video footage of the incident. Some people were seen being transported away on stretchers while police roped off the area. “People were helping each other out,” VanGerpen remarked. “folks were waiting to go inside there (the nightclub), ordering tacos, and they were seeing folks who they had no idea were injured. They’re stepping in to help them.” The fire department coordinated patient triage and transport following the event, which occurred about 2 a.m. local time. The agency said that 124 firefighters aided at the incident.
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