A man was found shot to death inside a parked SUV in North Long Beach Saturday night, according to Long Beach police.

At around 9:26 p.m., officers patrolling the area were flagged down by a citizen who said a shooting occurred earlier in the night and described an area where the citizen believed the shooting took place, police said in a statement Sunday morning.

Officers found the victim with multiple gunshot wounds to the upper body inside an SUV parked on the street at 72nd Street and Atlantic Place, according to police.

Long Beach Fire Department personnel pronounced the man dead at the scene.

“At this time, the motive for the shooting is currently unknown and detectives are actively working to gather additional information to further the ongoing investigation,” police said in a statement.

The identity of the victim is unknown at this time as the county’s coroner’s office still needs to notify the victim’s next of kin, according to police. The victim appears to be a man in his 40s, police said.

A man was found shot to death inside a parked SUV on 72nd Street and Atlantic Place in Long Beach on Saturday, Dec. 18, 2021. A resident said that before the shooting, he observed drivers doing donuts at the intersection, however, it’s unclear if that street takeover was related to the fatal shooting. Photo by Crystal Niebla.

Multiple witnesses said they heard about three shots fired last night.

Brenda Ortega, 42, said she heard gunshots at around 7:30 p.m. earlier, living just meters from the scene of the shooting. Once police arrived, they taped off the intersection, including an alley perpendicular to 72nd Street.

“They worked all night,” Ortega said in Spanish about authorities at the scene.

“It’s been a long time since something like this happened around here,” said another nearby resident, who declined to give his name for fear of retaliation.

A third resident, who also declined to give his name for fear of retaliation, said that before the shooting, he observed drivers doing donuts at the intersection. It’s unclear if that street takeover was related to the fatal shooting.

Anyone with information regarding the incident is urged to contact Homicide Det. Leticia Gamboa or Ethan Shear at 562-570-7244. Anonymous tips may be submitted through “LA Crime Stoppers” by calling 800-222-TIPS (8477), downloading the “P3 Tips” app to your smartphone, or by visiting www.lacrimestoppers.org

Editor’s note: This story was updated with new information from the Long Beach Police Department. This story was updated a second time with witness accounts.