3 dead, 4 injured in Torrance bowling alley shooting; police try to ID shooter or shooters
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Three males were killed and four more injured in a shooting late Friday night after a brawl erupted at a Torrance bowling alley. Police early Saturday were working to identify a suspect or suspects.
The Torrance Police Department said officers responded to calls of “shots fired” at the Gable House Bowl at 11:54 p.m. The business is at Hawthorne and Sepulveda boulevards.
In my haste I misspelled Torrance.
— Scott Schwebke (@TheChalkOutline) January 5, 2019
As of early Saturday the shooter or shooters remained at large. Torrance Police Sgt. Ronald Harris said during a news conference outside the Torrance police station that investigators are “doing their best to identify as quickly as possible” those responsible for the shooting.
Information regarding a possible motive for the shooting; including whether it was gang-related; and whether the victims were specifically targeted was not released. Harris also did not say how many times the victims were shot. There were no reports of bowling alley employees sustaining any injuries, he said.
Harris did not release the ages of the victims or the type of gun they were shot with. He did say officers arriving on scene treated those shot including performing CPR and using a defibrillator. Firefighters also treated victims.
All of those shot were in the same area of Gable House Bowl, which is typically busy with patrons on a Friday night, Harris added.
“It’s a popular spot,” he said.
“Our hearts go out to the families who lost loved ones during this incident,” Harris said.
The Gable House Bowl is described on its website as a gaming venue that offers bowling, laser tag and an arcade.
Dwayne Edwards, 60, of Los Angeles said he received a call from his nephew that his 28-year-old son was one of those who was fatally shot.
His nephew told him his son was attempting to break up a fight near the front entrance of the bowling alley when a gunman came up and opened fire.
“He just started unloading,” Dwayne Edwards said. “My son was hit right in the heart.”
He was told his nephew attempted to keep pressure on the wound until police arrived.
“I’m thinking this is a dream and I’ll wake up,” he said. “He was a good kid. I don’t understand it.”
Edwards said the bowling alley was known for some gang activity.
“There’s always a need for a police presence,” Harris said in response to the assertion of some gang activity. “We do have people that are down. Unfortunately three people did pass away tonight and that’s the biggest concern we have right now.”
Damone Thomas was in the karaoke section of Gable House Bowl, a regular stop for him and his friends after work on Fridays, when people ran in saying there was a shooting. The 30-year-old Los Angeles resident said his friend flipped over one of the tables to shield them as they heard gunshots.
Thomas said he didn’t feel scared because he was “just trying to survive.”
But when he was driving back home, he said he realized how traumatic the situation was and said he hasn’t been able to fall asleep.
“Closing my eyes, all I can see is the women against the wall crying, not knowing what to do,” he said.
“All we heard was gunshots, four or six,” said Jesus Perez, who was in the bowling alley when the shooting started. “The security guard from the bowling alley escorted us back. We were worried and scared… we were worried about our lives. Everyone just started running for their lives, to their cars and took off.”
Police said three males died at the scene. Four male victims were injured. Two of them were transported to a local hospital for unknown injuries and the other two sought out their own medical attention.
None of the bodies of those killed had been removed from the bowling alley as of about 3 a.m., said Torrance police Sgt. Paul Kranke.
Investigators remained early Saturday in the bowling alley, which he confirmed was filled with patrons when the shooting happened
“It was packed,” Kranke said.
Witnesses said a fight preceded the shooting, but details on what started the altercation were not immediately available.
Wes Hamad, a 29-year-old Torrance resident, was at the bowling alley with his 13-year-old niece and cousin when he saw a “huge fight” break out.
Hamad said the brawl, which lasted about five minutes, blocked the entrance and devolved into “complete chaos.”
“I grabbed my niece and started running towards the far end of the bowling alley,” he said. “As we were running, we heard 15 shots.”
As he was leaving, Hamad said he saw a woman weeping over a man who was riddled with multiple gunshot wounds in his head and neck.
Dozens of police vehicles were parked outside of the bowling alley early Saturday while a large crowd — including some upset and hostile people — was separated from the business by police tape. Even after 6:30 a.m., people were coming to the scene looking for information about family members.
The shooting drew national attention and social media discussions about gun violence.
My heart breaks for the victims of the shooting in Torrance and their loved ones. Thank you to the law enforcement & first responders on the scene. We must do more to address gun violence. Americans should be able to go to a bowling alley and be safe.
— Kamala Harris (@SenKamalaHarris) January 5, 2019
Anyone with information about the incident can contact the Torrance Police Department at 310 328-3456.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.