LOS ANGELES, CA – A 14-year-old boy was shot and wounded Sunday night in an apartment in the Mid-City neighborhood of Los Angeles, and a 16-year-old girl was taken into custody in what police believe was an accidental shooting, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
The shooting was reported at about 10:45 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, in the 4600 block of Venice Boulevard, near Vineyard Avenue. Officers responded to a report of assault with a deadly weapon.
An LAPD spokeswoman said it appeared one of the children was showing off a handgun when it discharged. Police believe the shooting was accidental.
The boy was taken to a hospital, where he was listed in stable condition with non-life-threatening injuries.
Officers respond to assault report
The call that brought officers to the apartment building on Venice Boulevard was classified as an assault with a deadly weapon. That is the category police use when a report involves a weapon and an injury or threat, and it was the description officers had when they arrived.
The LAPD said the shooting happened inside an apartment. The block is a residential stretch of Venice Boulevard in Mid-City, where apartment buildings line the street near Vineyard Avenue.
According to initial reports, police were first looking for the person who fired the gun. Later accounts from the LAPD said a teenager had been taken into custody.
Boy shot near the armpit
The wounded teenager is a 14-year-old boy. The bullet struck him near the armpit, according to information released after the shooting.
An LAPD spokeswoman said the boy had stable vital signs at the hospital. He was taken there with injuries that were not considered life-threatening.
Police have not released his name. The LAPD does not identify minors who are victims of crime.
Girl, 16, taken into custody
An LAPD spokeswoman said officers took a 16-year-old girl into custody after the shooting. Police did not say what led to her being taken into custody beyond describing the shooting as apparently accidental.
The spokeswoman said one of the children appeared to be showing off the handgun when it went off. The department has not said which of the two teenagers was holding the gun.
The girl has not been named because she is a minor. Being taken into custody is not a finding of guilt, and any allegations would remain subject to the juvenile court process.
How the juvenile court process works
When a child is taken to juvenile hall after an arrest, the court process begins quickly. According to the Los Angeles County Superior Court’s Juvenile Division, a petition is usually filed within 48 hours of the child being taken into custody.
The same court page says a detention hearing must be held the next day that court is in session. The LAPD has not said whether the girl was taken to juvenile hall or whether a petition will be filed.
Firearm storage guidance from state and city agencies
The California Department of Justice publishes firearm safety guidance for homes where children are likely to be present. It advises storing all guns unloaded, locking them with a firearms safety device and keeping them in a locked container.
The same page says a person may face misdemeanor or felony liability if a loaded firearm kept on premises under their control is obtained and used by a child under 18.
The LAPD also publishes guidance on weapons in the home. It calls for firearms to be stored unloaded and trigger-locked in a locked case, with ammunition locked separately and keys kept out of children’s reach.
City publishes incident-level crime data
The City of Los Angeles open data portal publishes LAPD incident-level crime data for 2020 to 2024. Readers can use it to look at reported incidents by year and area.
Investigation remains active
As of Monday, Nov. 2, the LAPD had not released a news release on the shooting, the identity of either teenager or any decision on charges. The department’s description of the shooting as accidental reflects what police believe at this stage of the investigation.
Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to contact the Los Angeles Police Department.
