The first gunshots rang out in Bell half an hour before midnight. Two men in a red vehicle sped away, leaving behind one man dead Sunday night outside an elementary school.
Over the next 90 minutes, authorities say, southeast Los Angeles County was the scene of a terrifying and seemingly random string of killings.
When it was over, four people were dead in a series of drive-by shootings within five miles of each other, including a 14-year-old boy. The violence left family members of the victims grieving and communities reeling.
On Thursday, Los Angeles County prosecutors charged two men with the slayings.
“Multiple communities have been terrorized by these men’s callous, cruel, and coldhearted actions. This senseless violence will not go unanswered by the scales of justice,” Dist. Atty. George Gascón said in announcing the charges.
Investigators said the suspects are affiliated with street gangs, but did not disclose any information about a motive behind the shootings. It was unclear if one or both men opened fire in the shootings, and investigators said they had not recovered any weapons used in the killings.