State News
Two Men Shot At Los Angeles Church
By Katherine Noland
Nov 5, 2012 - 2:06:07 PM

LOS ANGELES—Two men were shot, one killed and one critically injured, at a church in Westlake District at the corner of Beverly Boulevard and Reno St. Sunday evening at around 6:30 p.m.

Photo of inside of Principe De Paz from Church's Facebook webpage

At the Principe de Paz, a Filipino town church located in the Southwest area of Echo Park, Andres Ordonez was leaving evening mass and approached a man who was vandalizing the church building by spray-painting graffiti. Ordonez, along with another unidentified churchgoer, attempted to stop the crime and were shot by a second suspect who had gotten out of a nearby car. Ordonez, who was in his 20s, died at the scene while the second victim, who is in his 40s remains stable, but critically injured.

According to police, the two suspects who fled the scene were possible gang members. LAPD Homicide Detective Jeff Cortina urges the public to provide assistance in any way possible. “This wasn’t gangster on gangster," Cortina states. He added, “They didn’t do anything to deserve what happened…it could be anybody. It could be anybody’s kid." No arrests have been made.