5 shot in altercation at Los Angeles beach, suspects at large, police say

Five people were shot after an altercation escalated to gunfire on a beach in San Pedro, a Los Angeles neighborhood, on Saturday evening, officials said.

The Los Angeles Police Department said it first heard reports of the shooting at Royal Palms Beach at around 5:45 p.m.

Authorities said they believe that two men approached a group at the beach, where an altercation later occurred. Five people were shot, and two suspects later fled the scene, police said.

All five victims were struck by gunfire, according to the LAPD. Four of the victims were in stable condition, and one was in critical condition, police said. All five are seeking treatment at local hospitals.

Police said they believe that the suspects fled in a silver sedan.

Janice Hahn, chair of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, and Tim McOsker, a council member, said in a joint statement that they were "outraged and saddened" by the shooting.

"It's tragically ironic that today we hosted a gun buy-back event just a few miles away from this location," their statement said. "Gun violence is wreaking havoc on our community."