Police said gunfire erupted as officers were trying to shut down a crowded private event at Artist Lounge.
LOS ANGELES — Two young adults were killed after gunfire erupted during a crowded private party at an event space near California State University, Northridge, and police were searching Sunday for the shooter.
The Los Angeles Police Department said officers were sent to the 18400 block of Nordhoff Street about 11:05 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2, after receiving a report of a loud party. Officers found an estimated 100 to 200 people at the location and were speaking with organizers about shutting down the gathering when they heard several gunshots. Police later found two victims with gunshot wounds inside the venue.
Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics provided medical aid, but both victims died at the scene, police said. LAPD initially described them as an 18-year-old Black man and a 19-year-old Hispanic woman and withheld their names while relatives were being notified. NBC Los Angeles later identified them as Jaydin Lewis, 18, and Kimberly Pastor, 19, during coverage of a vigil held in their memory.
The shooting happened at Artist Lounge, an event space in a strip mall west of the Cal State Northridge campus. The venue said in a public statement that the shooting occurred during a private promotional event for emerging music artists. The business said private security was present during the gathering and expressed condolences to the victims’ families.
Video from the scene showed a large police response and groups of young people leaving the venue. ABC7 reported that officers briefly detained and searched dozens of people before releasing them. Witness video also showed people scrambling for cover after the shots were fired. Authorities have not released a description of the person investigators believe fired the shots.
LAPD said its Robbery-Homicide Division’s Valley Bureau Section is investigating the killings. Police have not publicly identified a motive or announced an arrest. Investigators have said the shooting appeared to be an isolated attack, according to ABC7, but authorities have not disclosed what led to the gunfire.
Police also investigated a report that another person may have been wounded. LAPD Lt. Guy Golan told local news outlets after the shooting that detectives were trying to locate a possible third victim. The department’s formal Sunday news release confirmed the two deaths but did not announce an additional injured person.
The shooting occurred while officers were already at the scene responding to the loud-party call, a detail confirmed in LAPD’s official account. Police said officers searched the location after hearing the shots and found the two victims inside. No suspect information was available in the department’s Sunday update.
Artist Lounge announced plans for a Sunday evening vigil honoring the victims. NBC Los Angeles later reported that a vigil was held for Lewis and Pastor. The venue described the deaths as a tragedy and said the event space had been intended as a place for music, art and other creative activities.
The killings remain under investigation. LAPD had not announced an arrest or released a suspect description as of Sunday, and investigators were continuing to seek information about who fired the shots and what prompted the attack.