17 Gang Members Held in Shooting Investigation

Los Angeles police arrested 17 members of a Pacoima gang Wednesday morning in an investigation of a New Year’s Day shooting in which two residents of a public housing project who tried to stop a noisy disturbance were fired at and seriously wounded.

A gang member was also wounded by a stray bullet, police said.

Eight other suspects were being sought. During the early morning searches of 16 homes and gang hangouts, police confiscated 14 guns, including an assault rifle, detectives said.

Although police estimated that the gang has more than 100 members, detectives said the arrests included several suspected leaders, which will disrupt the gang’s criminal activity, including a Pacoima cocaine sales network.