Pico Union: Man, 18, shot west of Convention Center

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

Luis Rodriguez, an 18-year-old Latino man, was shot and killed while standing with a group gathered west of the Los Angeles Convention Center about 8:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 12, 2008.

Steven Munoz, a 12-year-old Latino boy, was also killed in the incident. Witnesses told police that several men -- whom they described as Latino, with shaved heads, gray shirts, black pants, and between the ages of 17 and 18 -- got out of a car and opened fire on a crowd in the 1400 block of Connecticut Street near Western Avenue.

Rodriguez, whose age was initially reported as 25, was discovered bleeding in an alley in the 1400 block of 11th Street. He was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead on arrival.

LAPD investigators, who said they believed the shootings were gang-related, were searching for the suspects, who may have fled the scene in a four-door car, possibly a Honda, with gray and white spots.

-- Andrew Blankstein and Anthony Pesce