Four people shot to death in Southeast Los Angeles late Sunday and early Monday were not random victims, and their murders are related, authorities say, although they are not sure how.
The murders lasted 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 on suspects or a motive.
The investigation is ongoing and there was no additional information as of early Tuesday.
The first victim was identified as Kevin Parada, 24, who was shot around 11:30 p.m. Sunday and was found in a driveway near the Martha Escutia Elementary Center, an elementary school in Bell, according to the department. of the Los Angeles County Sheriff.
About 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 authorities 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 his family.
About four miles away, a 14-year-old boy was killed outside the Ellen Ochoa Learning Center in the 5000 block of Live Oak Street in Cudahy. Javier Pedraza Jr. was shot and killed shortly before 2 a.m., the Sheriff's Department said. He and another child who had been shot were found by responding officers after reports of gunshots in the area. Paramedics were called to treat the teens, but Pedraza died at the scene.
The second victim was taken to a hospital in stable condition, according to authorities. Pedraza is a resident of Cudahy and her identity was confirmed by the Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner.
The last person shot to death 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.
