Teen dead, man wounded after spate of shootings in Altadena

ALTADENA -- Three shootings within a square mile radius and within less than 24 hours left one teenager dead and another man injured over the weekend, officials said.
The attacks occurred between late Saturday and Sunday evening and began with the fatal shooting of a teenage boy, followed by a drive-by shooting and ending with injuries to a man shot at by an attacker hiding behind a bush, authorities said.
Los Angeles County Sheriff's officials -- who assigned extra patrols to the city Sunday -- said the shootings may be connected.
"I think they're probably related," Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Angela Shepherd said, based on the close proximity and time frame of the attacks.
The first shooting occurred about 11:10 p.m. Saturday in the 100 block of East Altadena Drive, Los Angeles County sheriff's Deputy Lillian Peck said in a written statement.
Deputies responding to call of "shots fired" discovered the victim lying in the street, suffering from gunshot wounds, Peck said.
The wounded teenager died from his injuries at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena Sunday morning, coroner's officials said.
He was listed with the coroner's office as a John Doe and was described only as a black teen between 16 or 17 years old.
The teen was not believed to be involved with gangs, Shepherd said. No suspect information was released, and a motive in the attack was not known.
About 12 hours later, someone opened fire on a man near Harriet Street and Lincoln Avenue, Shepherd said.
The victim -- described only as a black man with suspected gang ties -- was working on a car when a shooter inside a passing silver-colored SUV began firing shots, Shepherd said.
Two parked cars were struck by the gunfire, but the man was not hit, she said. The shooter was described as a black man wearing a black beanie.
Then several hours later, shortly before 5 p.m., a 39-year-old man was shot in the thigh and ankle near Stonehurst Drive and Canyada Avenue, Shepherd said.
The wounded man, who was also suspected to have gang ties, was taken to a local hospital where he was expected to survive.
In that attack, authorities said the shooter opened fire on the victim from behind a bush across the street before fleeing west on Stonehurst Drive on foot.
The suspect was described as a black man, about 5-feet-11-inches tall, wearing a black hooded sweat shirt and a black beanie.
Authorities believe the two later attacks may have been gang-related.
At the scene of the fatal shooting Sunday, a man lit a candle at a memorial to the slain teen.
He declined to give his name, but identified himself as a friend of the victim and said his friend lived in Altadena.
Resident Lauren Eaton, 26, who lives across the street from the shooting, said she heard about four gunshots late Saturday.
As sheriff's officials began arriving at the scene, "I didn't want to come out," she said. "It was kind of nerve-racking."
Eaton said the spate of shootings left her uneasy.
"It makes me nervous in the sense that it could happen anywhere," she said.
Another neighbor -- who asked his name not be published in fear of retaliation -- said he was also worried about the eruption of violence.
"I'm concerned about it ... how safe it's going to be," he said. "I better stay home at night."

*Pictured above: A memorial of candles and flowers marked the scene of a fatal shooting that claimed the life of a teenager late Saturday in the 100 block of East Altadena Drive.