A man was critically wounded and a bystander was struck by gunfire as suspects fled a downtown Los Angeles alley.
LOS ANGELES, CA — Two people were wounded Tuesday afternoon during a shootout in downtown Los Angeles, including a bystander caught in the crossfire, as police searched for three men believed to have fled the scene in a black BMW.
The shooting was reported at about 2:45 p.m. Sept. 29 in an alley between South Figueroa and West Francisco streets, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Police said several men opened fire on another man, who pulled out a gun and returned fire. The attackers continued shooting as they fled in a vehicle, police said. The targeted man was taken to a hospital in critical condition.
A second man was struck by gunfire while inside a nearby vehicle, police said. He was treated at the scene and released. Other reporting identified the bystander as a tourist from Germany who had been returning a luxury rental vehicle when the gunfire broke out. Video from the scene showed a green and black McLaren with apparent bullet holes in its windshield.
Police said they were searching for three men seen getting into a black four-door BMW and leaving through the alley toward Figueroa Street. Authorities had not announced any arrests as of the latest reports, and investigators had not released the identities of the people involved.
The circumstances leading to the shooting remained under investigation. Police said it was not immediately clear whether the confrontation was gang-related. Authorities also had not publicly explained what prompted the initial gunfire or whether the critically wounded man and the other shooters knew one another before the confrontation.
Accounts from the scene provided additional details about the chaotic moments surrounding the shooting. Witness Joshua Ramirez told KTLA that he and coworkers were near their van when two vehicles arrived and gunfire broke out. Ramirez said he went to help a wounded man near a green McLaren after the shooting.
The German tourist told KTLA that his vehicle was struck and that he was wounded in the arm. He described seeing several people firing weapons during the confrontation. Police separately characterized the tourist as an innocent bystander who was inside a vehicle when he was hit.
Reports placed the shooting near West Eighth and Francisco streets and the 800 block of South Figueroa Street. Police officers remained in the area after the gunfire, gathering evidence and trying to establish the sequence of events. The shooting occurred in a busy section of downtown near businesses, residential buildings and major streets.
Investigators continued searching for those who fled the scene. No updated condition for the critically wounded man had been publicly released, and police had not announced arrests or identified a motive in the shooting.
Author note: Last updated Oct. 1, 2026.