Multiple people were shot โ including one fatally โ near two polling stations about 25 miles east of Los Angeles on Tuesday afternoon, according to police and local news reports.The shooting occurred in Azusa, a city of about 45,000 nestled in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains. The Azusa Police Department initially said it was responding to a โcritical incidentโ and advised residents to avoid the area and โshelter in place.โAzusa police said on Twitter the incident began at 2:02 p.m. local time โwith reports of shots firedโ near Memorial Park, where a polling place is located. The officers โfound multiple shooting victimsโ and โcame under fire,โ police said.Police confirmed that one person is dead and two others are hospitalized in critical condition. A fourth victim was described as being โdownโ near the victimโs residence.
Advertisement
Police initially described the situation as an active shooting, but said it โhas transitioned from active to barricade/containmentโ with the gunman apparently holed up inside of a house.During a press conference, Azusa Police Captain Steve Hunt, the departmentโs acting chief, said the gunman was armed with a rifle โwith rapid fire capabilities,โ but it was unclear whether it was an automatic or semi-automatic weapon.โThe scene is still not stable,โ Hunt said.
He added that there was โone suspect and possibly a second suspect.โ One of the suspects is reportedly female, armed with a rifle. โWeโve had some conflicting reports where there is a second suspect, a male suspect, dressed in tactical gear,โ he said.Two polling places, located at an elementary school and in a city park, were impacted by the shooting, according to the Los Angeles County Clerkโs office.When asked whether the shooting was connected to the election, Hunt responded that it was โtoo early to tell what the motive is,โ but added that the attack โappears to be concentrated on the residential side, not at the polling station.โOne voter told CNN that she heard the gunshots.โAt first, I thought it was construction, but people came running into the room saying they see a guy with a bulletproof vest and a white shirt,โ she said. โAs of right now, they just have us in the voting room and are trying to keep us calm.โThis is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.