Youth, 17, Shot to Death at Party After Threats : Violence: Racial slurs are made in front of the victim and two gunfights erupt. Ventura police arrest a suspect.

Police arrested a 25-year-old Ventura man in connection with the shooting death of an Oxnard youth at a Ventura party where a “skinhead” had threatened the victim minutes before his death.

Timothy Moss, 17, was hit by bullets in the head and heart during what police said may have been a gang-related gunfight at a house party Friday on Comanche Court, authorities said. The youth was pronounced dead at the scene, Ventura County Deputy Coroner Dale Zentzis said.

Stanislado Gomez was arrested immediately on suspicion of murder, Ventura Police Lt. Don Arth said.

Gomez hangs out with a Ventura skinhead gang, and Moss was known to associate with an Oxnard gang, although he was not a gang member himself, police said. Even though police believe the quarrel may have been gang-related, the motive for the shooting is unclear, Arth said.

On Saturday, police also arrested Ethan Boyle, 22, of Ventura on suspicion of attempting to kill Moss during another gunfight shortly before he was killed. Boyle surrendered to police Saturday, Arth said.

The first quarrel occurred about 9:30 p.m., when Moss and some friends arrived at the party and met Boyle. Boyle, who reportedly called himself a skinhead, brought out two knives and made derogatory remarks about blacks in front of Moss and his friends at the party, Lt. Brad Talbot said. Moss is black and told friends he had a gun and would use it if he had to, Talbot said.

Boyle went outside the house and waited on the sidewalk, Talbot said.

Moss remained inside the house and later decided to leave. Boyle was also armed with a gun and when Moss went outside, the two started shooting at each other, police said. Boyle fled after firing some shots at the front porch, police said.

Moss ran back inside the house and got into a gunfight with Gomez in the kitchen, police said.

At least six shots were fired inside and outside the house, police said. Authorities found only one handgun at the scene. “We don’t know who was carrying it at the time,” Arth said. “We’re apparently looking for two more guns.”

“I thought it was firecrackers at first,” next-door neighbor Dave Brainerd said. “I went outside and everyone was running, and then I heard one of the kids say someone was dead. My wife is a nurse, so we went over to help.”

When he entered the house, he noticed a few 12-packs of beer lying around, and Moss was face down in the kitchen and Gomez was near him, Brainerd said. Gomez told him that Moss had come into the house with a pistol and he had tried to take it away from him, Brainerd said.

The party had begun as a small gathering early Friday evening, said the 16-year-old sister of the girl who threw the party. “It was just a few people hanging out,” she said, refusing to give her name. Later, the party grew to more than 50 people, according to neighbors.

“I heard, ‘Oh my God, he has a gun,’ ” said a Ventura teen-ager who was at the party and who did not want to be identified. “We ran upstairs and then I heard ‘Bam, bam, bam!’ Then I went next door and called 911.”

Gomez and Boyle are being held in lieu of $250,000 bail each at Ventura County Jail. Both are to be arraigned Tuesday.