Woman Killed at Mansion Party That Defied COVID Orders

Los Angeles party was being held despite restrictions on gatherings
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 5, 2020 4:38 AM CDT
Woman Killed at Los Angeles Mansion Party
Stock photo.   (Getty Images / Evgen_Prozhyrko)

A Los Angeles mansion party held Monday night did more than violate California's social distancing orders—it resulted in a shooting that left a woman dead and four others injured. Police were first called to the Mulholland Drive address after multiple neighbors complained about buses dropping off guests at a large gathering. Hours later, the shooting was reported, and LAPD officers found two women and a man with gunshot wounds in what is being described as a gang-related incident. The other two injured people were not shot; it's not clear how they got hurt, but both have been discharged from the hospital. A 35-year-old woman died, and the others who were shot were in stable condition, the Los Angeles Times reports. Police are also investigating reports of gambling activity inside the home, CNN reports.

In addition to the shooting, officials are concerned about the possibility that the party will contribute to the spread of the coronavirus. "It sounds like a high-risk experience for those who were there and, frankly, for the loved ones that they go home to," California's Health and Human Services secretary said Tuesday. With bars and nightclubs still closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, private parties like this one are a growing concern, and the LAPD has been receiving an increasing number of calls about them. No arrests have yet been made in the Monday night incident. About 200 people were at the party when police first arrived hours before the shooting, and while officers did cite and impound some illegally-parked vehicles, they did not enforce the county's coronavirus health order, which bans gatherings of any size. But police say it's difficult to enforce when the gathering is on private property. (A similar party in New Jersey had 700 guests.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X