Shooting stuns a neighborhood

Deepa Bharath

Police are still looking for the men responsible for shooting two

others in a dark alley after an argument the day before Thanksgiving.

But even as officials are on the hunt for the gunmen, and as the

two victims are receiving treatment for gunshot wounds, neighbors on

the north side of Costa Mesa said they are surprised by the incident.

Police do not have a description of the suspects. Officials

declined to release any further information about the incident

because of the ongoing investigation. Detectives are still uncertain

whether the shooting was gang-related.

But police said Thursday that the shooting was the result of an

argument that escalated. Several rounds were fired, officials said.

The 3000 block of Coolidge Avenue, where the incident reportedly

took place, is a crowded street where it would be difficult to even

find a parking spot. On any given evening, children play on the

sidewalks and neighbors stand by watching their kids and talking to

each other.

Moms and dads push their babies in strollers. Teenagers hang out

at street corners in groups.

“It’s like any other street,” said Erin Gordon, who doesn’t live

in the neighborhood but often visits friends here. “I’ve walked down

this street alone at 1 in the morning and haven’t thought twice about

it. I’m never doing that again.”

The street is a mix of homes and apartment buildings. Police said

the shooting happening in one of the alleyways that crisscross among

the apartment buildings.

The neighborhood has been safe over the years, said a neighbor who

lives right across the street from where the shooting happened.

“I’ve lived here for seven years and never heard of anything like

this,” said the man, who wished to remain anonymous because he fears

for his safety.

He said he and his family were getting ready to go to bed

Wednesday night when they heard the gunshots.

“It’s scary for us and our neighbors,” he said. “My children play

out here all the time. It’s like a family block around here.”

Jeff Seiff, who recently moved to the neighborhood, said the

incident caught him by surprise.

“I would not be surprised if there was a big fight in the alley or

something,” he said. “But I wouldn’t have expected someone to get

shot.”

* DEEPA BHARATH covers public safety and courts. She may be

reached at (949) 574-4226 or by e-mail at deepa.bharath@latimes.com.