2 men were shot, 1 fatally, after allegedly killing a youth in Azusa
Two men were shot after fatally shooting a juvenile male in Azusa on Tuesday, Jan. 8. Azusa Police officers responded to a call about a gunshot victim on Sixth Street just after 10 p.m., according to a news release from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
When officers arrived at the location, they found the three gunshot victims and pronounced the juvenile male and one of the men dead at the scene. The third victim was taken to a hospital. He is expected to live. The Los Angeles County coroner’s office identified the late victims as Daniel Zeledon, 15, and Mario Ramirez, 28. Both were Azusa residents. The third man’s identity has not been released.
Authorities determined that Ramirez and the other man targeted Zeledon, firing several rounds and striking him in the upper torso. When the two suspects fled the scene on foot, an unknown suspect struck them with gunfire.
The shooting took place less than a mile from APU’s main campus. The Azusa and Glendora police departments conducted a surrounding area search for the suspected shooter.
Paul Dennis, executive director of APU’s Department of Campus Safety (DCS), said that one of the DCS officers on duty heard about the incident on the area agency’s radio. The officer communicated it to the DCS staff. DCS warned the APU community to stay clear of the area via email, text and phone calls around 11 p.m. that night, following up with an all-clear message about an hour later.
“In situations like this one, I would advise students to stay alert and be aware of their surroundings,” Dennis said. “If you happen to see some police activity in an area, the best thing to do is avoid the area and stay clear, because you don’t know if the activity is ongoing or static.”
The investigation is ongoing. This article will provide more updates as they come.