[Video] Venice Shooting, Fights Mar Summer-Like Weekend on the Beach
It was an almost anarchic weekend for police in Venice as an injury shooting broke out Saturday near the beach, followed by at least three major fights on the sand Sunday. Some of the events were caught on tape (after the jump).
YouTube A crowd disperses after shots are fired near the beach in Venice.
Reports claimed that a Twitter-driven flash mob of gangsters was summoned to the boardwalk basketball courts Saturday afternoon, though we could find no remnants of such tweets. Video of the scene, however, showed a throng of people on and around the courts, with police already clearly on alert in the minutes before gunfire erupted.
The shooting at 17th Avenue and Ocean Front Walk was reported about 6:30 p.m., police said.
A victim was reportedly found shot in the head and was hospitalized in critical condition. The website Yo! Venice! says the man is a Crips gang member from Compton.
A gang-related "disturbance" was reported soon after the beach-side gunfire scattered what appeared to be hundreds if not thousands of people. That incident happened at a McDonald's at 2457 Lincoln Blvd., according to our reading of reports.
But wait, there's more.
The website Venice 311 reports that on Sunday three distinct fights broke out during the "drum circle" festivities on the sand. This after a fight broke out there last week.
Video:
Feel a hot summer coming on? Us too. Remember, the beach lifestyle is supposed to be laid back.
-With reporting from City News Service. Got news? Email us. Follow us on Twitter, too: @dennisjromero.
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