Long Beach police are investigating a shooting started by an argument that wounded one man outside a barber shop and also hit a bystander in a chicken restaurant about a block away, authorities said.

The barber shop is at Santa Fe Avenue and Columbia Street. Police said that’s where a Hispanic man between the ages of 20 and 30 was shot in his lower extremities around 5:45 p.m. Friday.

“We believe the intended target was at or outside the barber shop,” LBPD Sgt. Sean Hunt said.

A barber shop in West Long Beach where police say a man was shot Nov. 22, 2019. Photo by Valerie Osier.
A barber shop in West Long Beach where police say a man was shot on Nov. 22, 2019. Photo by Valerie Osier.

Police believe a stray bullet also traveled to the Louisiana Famous Fried Chicken restaurant about a block north on the opposite side of the street and hit another man, also in his lower extremities, according to Hunt. The restaurant is near Spring Street on Santa Fe.

Neither of the victims’ wounds were life-threatening, police said.

Investigators suspect the shooting was gang-related, and have so far learned a group of men were walking on Santa Fe when they were confronted by another group of men and started arguing, which then escalated to the shooting, police spokeswoman Arantxa Chavarria said.

There are no details on a suspect at this point. Hunt said officers were getting conflicting statements from witnesses on what the shooter looked like.

Investigators do not believe Friday’s shooting is related to the shooting Thursday night that wounded five people, Hunt said. LBPD is deploying additional patrols in the West Division for the night and will continue through the weekend, Chavarria said.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated with additional information from police. 

Valerie Osier is the Social Media & Newsletter Manager for the Long Beach Post. Reach her at [email protected] or on Twitter @ValerieOsier