A man and teenager pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges of multiple counts of attempted murder after allegedly shooting at a crowd and injuring five people during a Long Beach party in February, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced Thursday.
David Ham, 27, and Narith So, 16, were each charged with 12 counts of attempted murder and one count each of shooting at an inhabited dwelling and shooting from a motor vehicle.
The felony complaint also includes special allegations that the shooting was committed for the benefit of a gang and that the defendants personally discharged a handgun, which caused great bodily injury, officials said.
According to Deputy District Attorney Tapti Patel, on February 15 Ham and So reportedly drove through the 200 block of West 14th Street in Long Beach then shot at a group of people at a party, believing they were part of a rival gang.
The defendants were arrested the next day in connection with the incident.
Ham and So are scheduled back in court on June 17 for a pre-hearing conference. If convicted, they face a possible maximum sentence of life in state prison, officials said.
The case is being investigated by the Long Beach Police Department.
Additional information was unavailable at this time. We will update this story as we learn more.