A man was transported to a local hospital Tuesday, Dec. 28, after being wounded in a drive-by shooting near Coolidge Park in North Long Beach, authorities said.

Police said the shooting happened around 10:45 p.m. in the area of 69th Street and Orcutt Avenue Tuesday night. Officers responded and found a man with a “non-life threatening gunshot wound” to his lower body, according to a statement from the Long Beach Police Department.

LBPD spokesperson Richard Mejia said the man was walking down a sidewalk when a black vehicle, with an unknown number of people inside, approached him and opened fire.

Police currently do no have any information on the suspects as the driver fled the scene in an unknown direction. It is not clear if the people involved knew each other or if the incident was gang-related.

Violent crimes, such as shootings, have spiked in Long Beach this year, having well surpassed 2020’s number with a few days left in the year.

Earlier this year, LBPD implemented new strategies to combat the increase in gun violence across the city. This included pouring hundreds of thousands of dollars into upping its presence on the streets, and focusing the department’s attention on crime hot spots.

Shootings in Long Beach spiked last year. With weeks still to go, 2021 is already worse.