1 dead, 1 hospitalized following shooting in Azusa
Authorities are investigating a fatal shooting in Azusa, their second such investigation in two days.
The incident is said to have occurred at around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday afternoon in the 600 block of Donna Beth Avenue.
Two people were rushed to a nearby hospital, one of which was pronounced dead after arrival.
Investigators said that the deceased was a juvenile male. His mother identified him as 16-year-old Alexander Padilla.
Witnesses and the boy's mother said Padilla and his 13-year-old brother were standing outside their grandmother's home when a car pulled up next to them and started shooting.
The younger brother suffered a grazing wound but is expected to be ok.
Neighbors described the brothers as thoughtful boys who helped their grandma sell tamales and Mexican sweets on weekends. They typically stayed at their grandmother's on the weekdays to wait for their mother to pick them up.
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department investigators did not provide additional information on the investigation.
The shooting happened near the scene of another shooting that took place on Monday morning, when a person died after being shot while driving. They crashed in the 17700 block of E. Newburgh Street, but it was not immediately known where the shooting occurred.
LASD has not connected the shootings.
"We have seen an uptick in gang violence," said Azusa City Manager Sergio Gonzalez. "We don't know if this was gang-related. But if you live in one of these neighborhoods that's depressed and low income, the city should spend more resources there and we will. We're working with the school district and L.A. County."
Gonzalez said the Mayor of Azusa has made it clear that they're combating gang activity and have already put more officers on the streets in response to these shootings. They are specifically focusing on making sure kids can walk home from school safely.
The city also plans to hold a community meeting among parents to discuss kids and gangs.
"We shouldn't take for granted that they're exposed to it," said Gonzalez. "That they're being confronted about joint gangs."
