1 dead, 4 injured in SoCal restaurant shooting

LOS ANGELES — One person was shot dead and four others wounded when gunfire erupted during a brawl in a Southern California restaurant on Monday, and two of those hurt were in custody including one subdued by a security guard at the scene, police said.

The brawl at El Zocalo Mexican Grill and Seafood in Santa Ana broke out at 12:45 a.m. among a big group of people, and at least one of them opened fire, said Corporal Anthony Bertagna, a spokesman for the Santa Ana Police Department.

Police were taking statements from about 30 witnesses and recovered one gun at the scene, he said.

“The detectives are still trying to find out what happened,” Bertagna said. “A lot of people were involved, a lot of moving parts. Obviously, it’s a large scene. We’re trying to figure out what precipitated the argument, who shot our deceased victim, how did people get wounded. We also want to know if there’s another guy out there.”

One person, a man who was not publicly identified, was pronounced dead at the scene and four other people were taken by ambulance to local hospitals, Bertagna said.

Two of those wounded were being detained at a local hospital as suspects, including a man who suffered a gunshot wound and another hurt when he was subdued by a restaurant security guard and bystanders, Bertagna said.

The identities of those detained were not immediately released, nor did authorities immediately release details on their injuries or what their roles were in the fight.