Local streets and freeways were closed for several hours Sunday afternoon, as the SWAT team searched for a homeless man who shot at and injured another homeless man during an altercation, police said Monday.
The assault occurred near the Los Angeles River in the area of Pacific Coast Highway at about 3:45PM, said Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) spokeswoman Nancy Pratt. According to Pratt, the men, both in their 30s, lived at the riverbed.
A preliminary investigation found that during an altercation, one of the men pointed a gun at the other and fired. The victim was struck by bullet fragments and was transported to a local hospital with minor injuries.
Police immediately began searching for the suspect along and around the riverbed, including the Anaheim Street Bridge, which runs over the flood control, Pratt said.
SWAT was called in to complete the search as a precaution against the possibility of a barricaded suspect situation.
Because of the search, Anaheim Street was closed in both directions, as were portions of the 710 freeway.
The search ended at about 11:00PM, with police unable to locate the suspect. The investigation remains ongoing, Pratt said. All streets and the freeway were reopened immediately following the end of the search.
No further information is currently available. We will update this story as we learn more.