4 Wounded In South Bay Mass Shooting — Suspect At Large: Reports

HAWTHORNE, CA — Four people were injured in a shooting near a Hawthorne shopping area early Thursday morning, triggering a large emergency response as police searched for an unknown number of suspects.

The shooting was reported at about 2:13 a.m. in the 14100 block of Crenshaw Boulevard, near Rosecrans Avenue, a Hawthorne Police Department spokesperson said.

All four victims suffered injuries that were not considered life-threatening, police said. Three were taken to hospitals by the Los Angeles County Fire Department, while a fourth made their way to a hospital independently.

CBS News Los Angeles reported that two men and a woman were treated by first responders at the scene before being taken to local hospitals, while another man later arrived at a hospital.

Multiple gunshots were fired before officers arrived, according to Hawthorne police. Officers from the Gardena and Hermosa Beach police departments also responded, and police confirmed that no officers fired their weapons during the incident.

Video from the scene showed firefighters and paramedics tending to an injured man at a strip mall. Victims were found in separate parking lots and near a bus stop bench, according to initial reporting by KTLA.

KTLA, citing witnesses and news video service KNN, reported that a group of people had gathered near Crenshaw Boulevard and Rosecrans Avenue and became involved in an argument before multiple gunshots were heard. Police, however, had not publicly confirmed what led to the shooting as of Thursday morning.

The suspect or suspects fled before officers arrived, according to Hawthorne police. Authorities had not released descriptions of anyone being sought and had not said how many suspects may have been involved.

Crenshaw Boulevard between Rosecrans Avenue and El Segundo Boulevard was closed Thursday morning as Hawthorne police continued their investigation, according to CBS News Los Angeles.

No arrests had been announced as of Thursday morning and the circumstances leading up to the shooting remained under investigation.