A driver in Los Angeles rammed into a crowd outside an East Hollywood night club Saturday morning, injuring 30 people before a bystander shot him.
Seven victims were in critical condition while six were in serious condition, according to a statement from the Los Angeles Fire Department.
The incident happened around 2 a.m. local time just outside of The Vermont, a nightclub in Santa Monica, according to Reuters.
“They were all standing in line going into a nightclub. There was a taco cart out there, so they were … getting some food, waiting to go in. And there’s also a valet line there,” LAFD Capt. Adam VanGerpen said, according to KABC-TV in Los Angeles.
“The valet podium was taken out, the taco truck was taken out, and then a large number of people were impacted by the vehicle,” VanGerpen said.
LAFD Alert- #EastHollywood Traffic with Multiple Patients 4661 W Santa Monica Bl MAP: https://t.co/714PH0XwN5 FS35; DETAILS: https://t.co/uUhkMuWfTa
— LAFD 🔥 (@LAFD) July 19, 2025
An angry mob pulled the driver from his car before one man reportedly shot him.
The driver was later taken to the hospital, and his current condition has not yet been reported.
The man suspected of shooting the driver reportedly fled the scene with a “silver” revolver.
Around 2:00 a.m. this morning, Rampart Patrol officers responded to a radio call of an assault with a deadly weapon in the area of Vermont Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard. Preliminary information indicates a vehicle drove into a crowd for reasons still under investigation.
— LAPD PIO (@LAPDPIO) July 19, 2025
Police are still investigating the motive, but the driver had reportedly just been kicked out of a business venue, according to KABC-TV.
Police also said the driver’s actions were clearly intentional, according to NBC News.
✴️ BREAKING in LA:
At least 30 INJURED AND HOSPITALIZED after man evicted from East Hollywood nightclub returns at 2am in vehicle and MOWS DOWN crowd including valet stand and taco cart.
Immediately following there was a reported SHOOTING in the crowd and the driver was pulled… pic.twitter.com/zXbzRBZICI
— Stella X (@stellaaaaaax) July 19, 2025
At least 18 females and 12 males were injured, NBC News reported.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued a statement on the incident.
This is a heartbreaking tragedy.
I want to thank the more than 100 LAFD and LAPD personnel who responded to the scene to help to save lives.
The hearts of all Angelenos are with East Hollywood this morning and those impacted — a full investigation will be conducted into what… https://t.co/Q8Xf7TZrp9
— Mayor Karen Bass (@MayorOfLA) July 19, 2025
“This is a heartbreaking tragedy,” Bass wrote on the social media platform X on Saturday.
“I want to thank the more than 100 LAFD and LAPD personnel who responded to the scene to help to save lives. The hearts of all Angelenos are with East Hollywood this morning and those impacted — a full investigation will be conducted into what happened,” Bass wrote.
The investigation is ongoing.
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