LONG BEACH -- A man was shot and injured Wednesday near Poly High School, but police do not believe the victim was a student there.
Officers responded to a 1 p.m. call to New York Street and Atlantic Avenue about a possible fight, said Long Beach Police Sgt. Dina Zapalski.
Finding a large group of people gathered at the scene, officers then heard rounds fired and quickly found the victim.
The victim, described as about 18 to 19 years old, was shot in the upper torso in the 500 block of New York, just west of Atlantic.
The man was conscious as Long Beach paramedics loaded him into a truck. He was taken to a local hospital and treated for injuries that were described as not life-threatening.
"He's going to live," Zapalski said.
Gang detectives investigating the case are fairly certain the victim is not a Poly student, police said.
No one was in custody and detailed descriptions of the shooter and victims were not immediately available.
None of the students at the scene were injured in the conflict.
Poly let out at 12:35 p.m. Wednesday, a shortened day because of back-to-school night events, district officials said.
Many students had gathered at an area burger stand.
Before the shooting, a large group of African Americans crossed Atlantic to New York, where a group of Hispanics had gathered, witnesses told the Press-Telegram shortly after the shooting.
Words were exchanged before shots rang, but it was unclear where the gunfire came from, said the witnesses, who asked not to be identified for safety reasons.
After the shots were fired, students gathered at the burger restaurant quickly scattered.
Zapalski said investigators believe the shooting was gang-related.
Additional police officers will be assigned to patrol the area around Poly today and for the remainder of the week.
