Two fatal Saturday night shootings in Carson under investigation

Los Angeles County sheriff’s investigators are trying to determine if there is a connection between two fatal shootings that occurred about the same time Saturday night on adjacent blocks in Carson.

The Sheriff’s Department issued a statement early Sunday that homicide detectives responded to two separate locations shortly before midnight Saturday. A man was found fatally shot at each location in the east and west 100 blocks of 234th Street.

Initial reports said it was unknown if the homicides were related.

In an update posted Sunday, the Sheriff’s Department said deputies initially found one victim in the street, then located a second victim in a vehicle. Fire department responders pronounced both men dead.

The Sheriff’s Department released no information on identities of the victims or suspects.

But KTLA5 reported that family members who gathered at the scenes identified the men as Richard Mata, 45, and Vaa Fatu, 18.

Mata’s sister told KTLA that he was a Carson native and father of three who had recently moved back from Arizona.

Fatu’s father told the station that he was a good and loving child who was on dialysis and recently received a new kidney.