The city of Lancaster, California faced a violent 24 hours as a series of shootings left four people dead and at least six others injured. The violence began Tuesday night, June 25, 2024, with three separate shootings and continued into Wednesday, culminating in a gang-related incident that took two more lives.
Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies were called to the scene in the 800 block of East Avenue J-12 shortly before 6 p.m. on Wednesday. They found two men with gunshot wounds who were rushed to a hospital but later died. Five other victims, who also sustained gunshot injuries, were reported to be in stable condition as of Thursday.
Sheriff’s officials stated that homicide detectives have determined the shooting is gang-related. They are actively gathering more information on potential suspects and continuing their investigation at the scene. Although efforts are ongoing, no arrests have been made, and the victims’ identities have not been disclosed.
The shootings have left the community in shock. Lancaster Police Chief Rodrick Armalin described the past two days as “very rough” and traumatic for the community. “We’re working closely with the sheriff’s department and trying to provide whatever resources we possibly can,” Armalin said.
Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris expressed his frustration and concern over the escalating violence, stating, “These gangs turned our city into a warzone. Let’s not make any mistake about that. In those residential neighborhoods, we had people with assault weapons spraying the neighborhood.”
The spate of violence began Tuesday night when a man was shot and wounded at Avenue J-8 and 30th Street West. Later that evening, a man was fatally shot in the 45600 block of Sierra Highway, followed by another fatal shooting in the 400 block of Avenue L about half an hour later.
The mother of one of the victims, Sharon Jones, demanded answers after her son was among those injured in the shootings. “I don’t know his condition at all,” Jones told reporters. “And it’s not fair. Somebody needs to come out here and speak to me and stop playing with me. I’m not a kid, I’m 50 years old. I want to know about my son,” she said, expressing her frustration and fear.
The recent surge in gang-related violence has left residents on edge, with police urging anyone with information about these incidents to come forward.
As the investigation continues, the community remains hopeful that the perpetrators will be brought to justice and measures will be taken to prevent such tragedies from recurring.
