A shooting early Thursday in the Westlake area left three people dead and three others hospitalized.

The shooting was reported at 12:30 a.m. at Second Street and Union Avenue. Two men and a woman died. Details about the conditions of the injured individuals were not immediately available.

The shooting apparently happened outside a residence in the community northwest of downtown Los Angeles during a Fourth of July party, police said.

"There were words exchange," said Lt. Ryan Rabbett. "I can't get into the details of those words, but there was some conversation between the people who were shot and the people who did the shooting."

No arrests were reported. A detailed description of the shooter was not immediately available.