Bystander fatally shot during street takeover in South Los Angeles

A 23-year-old male bystander was shot and killed Friday night during a South Los Angeles street takeover, police said.

Officers responded to an assault with a deadly weapon call near 54th Street and Manhattan Place about 11:55 p.m. Friday, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

They arrived to find a man on the ground suffering from a gunshot wound as numerous vehicles and pedestrians were leaving the area, police said.

Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics responded and pronounced the victim dead at the scene. The victim’s identity is being withheld pending next of kin notification, authorities said.

In recent years, street takeovers have become a regular occurrence in neighborhoods across Los Angeles County, where drivers perform stunts in the middle of busy intersections or race their vehicles in residential streets as spectators look on, posting videos on social media. These gatherings have on occasion turned deadly, with shootings and vehicle crashes.

The Los Angeles Police Department has joined other California law enforcement agencies in stepping up efforts to crack down on the illegal phenomenon, including impounding vehicles of anyone caught participating or attending street takeovers. Authorities are also pushing for state legislation calling for stiffer penalties for those who engage in such activities.