Shooting in a bowling alley in California has killed three people, according to media reports. Four more were injured, the CNN reported on Saturday, citing the police. All victims are male. The incident occurred in the coastal town of Torrance southeast of the Californian metropolis, as the police announced on Saturday via Twitter.
People were asked to „stay away from the area,“ the operation was still underway, wrote the police. There was no information about a suspected perpetrator. An eyewitness told The Los Angeles Times („LA Times“) that there had been a „big fight“ before the shots were fired.
Meanwhile, the bowling alley operator, Jesus Perez, told the LA Times that he heard four shots. „We ran to the bar and took cover. All we heard was that probably two people were shot, „Perez was quoted as saying. He hid for about 15 minutes until he was escorted outside by a security guard through the back door. Another man reported to the „LA Times“ of nine shots.
Reports about „chaotic“ scenes
The „LA Times“ describes the scenes outside the bowling hall as „chaotic“. Many people are completely dissolved in front of the center. Those affected would, according to the local newspaper, review photos, allegedly from a surveillance camera, to find the potential culprit.
Employees: „Violent acts unusual“
Torrance is located about 40 kilometers south of Los Angeles in Los Angeles County. The population is just under 150,000. The shots were fired at the Gable House Bowl, a bowling center where Laser Tag is also played. Gable House Bowl staff reportedly told reporters that violence in the bowling center is extremely rare. From time to time it comes to brawls in the parking lot, if someone has drunk too much. Usually, the Gable House Bowl is a place where families often come for birthday parties.
Again and again, in the US, where the right to carry arms is enshrined in the constitution, there are deadly firearms attacks. According to one study, US citizens own 40 percent of private firearms worldwide, even though they make up only four percent of the world’s population. Of the world’s 857 million privately owned firearms, there are 393 million in the United States. According to authorities, nearly 40,000 people died in the US in 2017 through the use of firearms. The number includes suicides.
