5 Hurt in Pier Shooting

Five young men were shot after a fight on the Santa Monica Pier late Saturday night, sending evening strollers and outdoor restaurant patrons rushing for cover, authorities said.

All the victims are Los Angeles residents ages 17 to 19 and are expected to recover fully from their wounds. Four were taken to hospitals. Only one remained in a Santa Monica hospital Sunday and was listed in stable condition. The fifth victim received medical treatment on the pier and was released.

Police said the shooting occurred just after 11 p.m. at the entrance to the pier. A group of about six men had been fighting when one man pulled out a gun and began shooting, witnesses told police.

“No one knows what the fight was about,” said Lt. P.J. Guido, spokesman for the Santa Monica Police Department. He said police had not made any arrests.

In an early morning e-mail to City Council members, Police Chief James T. Butts said that one of the victims, the man who was treated at the scene for a superficial bullet wound and then released, was an innocent bystander not involved in the fight. Butts reportedly told council members that the altercation began when some of the men asked the other men about their gang affiliation.

Police refused to comment on the e-mail Sunday.

But Guido added that police believe the shooting is not a sign that gang tensions are heating up in the city.

Miguel Mendoza, who operates a henna body tattoo stand on the pier, said he was in the middle of painting a customer’s arm Saturday when he heard what sounded “like firecrackers or gunshots.” He looked up and saw a group of men running toward him, including some of the victims.

He joined a group of people who took refuge in a hamburger stand.