A trail of blood led police to a Los Angeles home that they believe was the site of a triple shooting Wednesday morning.

Police say one man died as a result of the shootings, which spurred the search of the house in Mid-City. Three men, ages 18 to 25, were chased through the neighborhood and shot multiple times, police said.

Officers found two victims at Kramerwood Place and Helms Place. A third was found in the 3100 block of Helms Place, where he had knocked on the door of a house and asked for help. They were taken to local hospitals. One died, and two were in critical but stable condition. None was identified.

After a 90-minute hunt for the assailants, police said they were calling off the search. They also lifted a lockdown at nearby Hamilton High School. But shortly thereafter, as students were exiting school for lunch, police in bulletproof vests and helmets began searching a home across the street, in the 8900 block of Kramerwood Place.


About 10 officers with guns drawn huddled behind a patrol car.

Three people, two women and one man, were detained at about 12:40 p.m.

LAPD Lt. John Radtke said a blood trail led to the house. Officers performed a “protective sweep” of the home but did not find any weapons. He said they would search the home again for weapons once a warrant was obtained.

The three people taken into custody were not suspects, Radtke said, but were being questioned about their potential involvement.


Police Lt. Randy Goddard said the shootings could be gang related but it was too early to tell. “This is not usual,” he said. “This is a safe neighborhood.”

Potential witnesses are asked to call the LAPD’s West L.A. detective bureau at (310) 444-1541.

Staff writer Joseph Serna contributed to this report.

For breaking California news, follow @TrevellAnderson, @smasunaga and @JosephSerna.