At least three people were killed in a shooting and four wounded at a southern California bowling alley late Friday, news report said.
The violence erupted at Gable House Bowl, an arcade, bowling and laser tag venue in Torrance, California about 20 miles outside Los Angeles.
News reports said three people were dead and at least four more were wounded in the violence, one of the first mass shootings of 2019.
Police on Twitter urged residents to steer clear of the shooting scene.
Reports of shots fired with multiple victims down. T P D is on scene. Investigation is ongoing. Please stay away from the area.
— Torrance Police (@TorrancePD) January 5, 2019
CNN reported that police responded to the shooting scene shortly before midnight local time.
“Upon arrival, officers discovered multiple subjects with gunshot wounds inside the location,” the news network reported.
“Officers began life-saving measures which included CPR and the use of a defibrillator. The Torrance Fire Department also treated individuals at the scene.”
It was unclear early Saturday whether one or more shooters remained on the loose.
Local television, citing eyewitnesses, reported that the shooting apparently was sparked by an altercation between patrons.
“There was a big group of people, seemed like they were having fun earlier,” eyewitness Dana Scott told the local ABC television affiliate.
“Probably not even a good minute later, we heard gunshots…. People started running to the back of the bowling alley and on the floor and between the lanes and between the cushions and the benches. … It was nothing good to see.”
The Torrance Police Department later Saturday posted on Twitter a press release detailing the events surrounding the shooting and homicide investigation, but with few new details.
Press Release: Homicide Investigation pic.twitter.com/015PpQzcUK
— Torrance Police (@TorrancePD) January 5, 2019
As ThinkProgress reported late last year, the United States remains in the grip of a gun violence epidemic.
2017 was the deadliest year on record for firearms, as nearly 40,000 Americans were killed by a gun last year — an average of 109 per day — according to data confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The totals for 2017 were a three percent increase over 2016 — a 38 percent rise over the past two decades.