CALIFORNIA—On Monday, July 21, detectives with the Los Angeles Police Department’s Hollywood Division are asking for the public’s help in identifying a suspect involved in a shooting that occurred during a mass casualty incident.
The LAPD reported on July 19, around 2 a.m., a mass casualty incident transpired outside a nightclub located near the 1000 block of North Vermont Avenue. Officers responded to the scene and discovered a vehicle was intentionally driven into a crowd of pedestrians gathered outside the venue.
The driver, identified as Fernando Ramirez, was taken into custody at the scene after his vehicle came to a stop upon colliding with several food carts, which became lodged underneath. He was pulled from the vehicle by bystanders and assaulted.
Fernando Ramirez was taken into custody and booked for 245(a)(4) PC – Assault with a Deadly Weapon, Force Likely to Produce Great Bodily Injury (Booking Number 7055471).
During the altercation, an unidentified male approached from across the street, produced a firearm, and shot Ramirez once in the lower back. That suspect fled the location and remains at large.
At least 36 victims sustained injuries ranging from minor pain to serious fractures and lacerations. Several individuals were struck by the vehicle, and some were briefly trapped beneath it.
The shooting suspect is described as a Hispanic male, between 5 feet and 6 inches and 5 feet and 7 inches tall, weighing between 150 and 170 pounds. He was last seen wearing a blue Dodgers jacket, a light blue jersey with the number “5,” and blue jeans. He has gauges in both ears and a goatee.
Anyone with details about the incident should call the LAPD Rampart CAPS Detective Audelo at (213) 484-3451. During non-business hours or on weekends, calls should be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (1-877-527-3247). Anyone wishing to remain anonymous should call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477).
