MID-CITY : Boy Dies, Companion Shot in Apparent Gang Attack

A teen-age boy was shot to death Thursday and his companion seriously wounded on a sidewalk in the Mid-City area of Los Angeles after a carload of apparent gang members confronted them, shouted a challenge and then opened fire, police said.

The two youths, both 15, were attacked at 4:05 p.m. as they were walking on Queen Anne Place near Pico Boulevard, said Los Angeles Police Officer Edmund Rodriguez. One youth was shot in the head, shoulder and chest; the other was shot in the abdomen, he said.

Both boys were taken to a nearby hospital, where one died and the other remained in serious condition. Their names were not released by police.

Rodriguez said it was unclear what sparked the confrontation, but said it is being investigated by police gang specialists. The assailants left at least 10 shell casings at the scene, he said.