Four people shot and killed in southeast Los Angeles late Sunday and early Monday were not random victims, and their killings are connected, authorities say, although they are not sure how.
The killings spanned a few hours in the cities of Huntington Park, Bell, Cudahy and Los Angeles, according to homicide investigators.
Law enforcement sources familiar with the investigation but not authorized to comment publicly say the shootings are connected and not random, but there is no information about the suspects or motive.
The investigation is ongoing and there was no additional information early Tuesday.
The first victim was identified as Kevin Parada, 24, who was shot around 11:30 p.m. Sunday and found in a driveway near the Martha Escutia Primary Center, an elementary school in Bell, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Roughly 30 minutes later, another person was shot and killed in the 1500 block of East Florence Avenue in Los Angeles. That shooting was reported to law enforcement at 1:52 a.m., but the victim is believed to have been shot around 12:08 a.m., homicide investigators said. The victim, described only as a man, has not been identified pending notification of next of kin.
About four miles away, a 14-year-old boy was killed outside Ellen Ochoa Learning Center in the 5000 block of Live Oak Street in Cudahy. Javier Pedraza Jr. was shot to death shortly before 2 a.m., the Sheriff’s Department said. He and another boy who had been shot were found by deputies who responded after reports of gunfire in the area. Paramedics were called to treat the teens, but Pedraza died at the scene.
The second victim was transported to a hospital in stable condition, according to authorities. Pedraza is a Cudahy resident, and his identity was confirmed by the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner.
The last person shot and killed Monday morning, another unidentified man, was found in the 6300 block of Santa Fe Avenue in the city of Huntington Park. He was shot at 2:37 a.m., authorities said.
