Police found a man shot dead just off the Santa Ana (5) Freeway in Boyle Heights late Monday night, various media outlets reported.
According to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), officers were called to the area of Beswick and Calzona streets near the 5 Freeway at 10:34 p.m. where they found a man with several gunshot wounds in a Range Rover SUV.
The man, who has not yet been identified by police, was pronounced dead at the scene. The southbound lanes of the freeway were temporarily shut down for an investigation but were later reopened.
There is no description of the suspect’s vehicle or of the shooter. KTLA 5 reported that investigators believe the shooting may have been gang-related, but a motive has yet to be confirmed.
No further details about the incident was available.
Uptick in Eastside Shootings
Monday’s late night shooting is the seventh homicide reported so far in 2020 in Boyle Heights, according to data from the Los Angeles Times Homicide Report. Ten other homicides have also been reported in East Los Angeles since the start of this year.
This uptick in shootings coincides with a general rise in crime in these Eastside neighborhoods this month. According to crime tracker Crosstown which covers 260 different areas in Los Angeles, the crime rate of both have increased this month with Boyle Heights now ranked 71 and East Los Angeles at 111, where a higher ranking denotes a higher crime rate.
