2 Killed In Liquor Store Shooting In Long Beach Identified

LONG BEACH, CA – Authorities identified two men Wednesday who were killed in a Long Beach liquor store in a shooting that left two additional people wounded. Officers went to the store at Walnut Avenue and Anaheim Street at 9:25 p.m. Tuesday to investigate a shots fired call and found four victims suffering from gunshot wounds, according to the Long Beach Police Department.

One of the men, 21-year-old Danny Bunthung of Long Beach, died at the scene, according to police and coroner's Assistant Chief Ed Winter.

Two of the men were taken to a hospital, where one, identified by the coroner's office as 22-year-old Dallas Som from Long Beach, was pronounced dead, police said. The other victim taken to a hospital has since been released. The fourth victim was treated at the scene for minor injuries but not taken to a hospital, police said.

Family members at the scene, where there was a memorial to the victims, said the two dead men were friends and that Bunthung was the father of a 3-year-old boy while Som's girlfriend is four months pregnant.

"Based on the preliminary investigation, it was determined the two deceased individuals were involved in a physical altercation inside the store with an unknown (person or people), which escalated into the shooting," police said.

The suspect or suspects fled the location before officers arrived and no descriptions were available, according to police, who said it was unclear if the shooting was gang-related or what the altercation was about.

"Detectives are searching for any video of the incident," police said.

Anyone with information about the shooting was urged to call Long Beach police homicide detectives Oscar Valenzuela and Shea Robertson at (562) 570- 7244.

Anonymous tips can be submitted through Crime Stoppers by calling (800) 222-TIPS.

City News Service and Patch staffer Emily Holland contributed to this post; Image via Shutterstock