An approximately 60-year-old man hired to paint over gang graffiti on the wall of a Northridge business was killed by a gunman armed with an “Uzi”-type semiautomatic handgun, who also wounded three other men in the vicinity, authorities said Sunday.
The victims were standing near Vanalden Avenue and Parthenia Street at about 12:30 p.m. Saturday when the shooter approached in a white sedan traveling northbound on Vanalden, exited the vehicle and opened fire, striking the man multiple times in the chest, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
The man painting over the gang graffiti was pronounced dead at a hospital a short time later.
Three other men in the immediate vicinity were also struck by gunfire before the shooter got back into the sedan and sped away northbound on Vanalden.
Police said two of the shooting victims underwent surgery and the fourth was treated and released. They were all Hispanic men, Officer Tony Im of the LAPD told City News Service.
The shooter was described as a tall, light-skinned Black man in his 30s, the LAPD reported Saturday evening.
Police were canvassing the area for CCTV video and any possible witnesses. LAPD Valley Bureau homicide detectives urged anyone with information about the shooting to call them at 818-374-1928 or 877-527-3247. Those wishing to remain anonymous may contact Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 (TIPS) or www.lacrimestoppers.org.