2 Fatally Shot in City of Hope Parking Lot

A man and a woman died Tuesday as a result of a shooting in the parking lot of the City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte, authorities said.

The victims were found about 1:40 p.m., but detectives with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau said the sequence of events leading up to the incident was unclear in the early stages of the investigation.

The woman was found dead in the hospital parking lot closest to the San Gabriel River Freeway, which is adjacent to the complex. The man, who was alive when found nearby, was taken to County-USC Medical Center, where he died.

Roya Naqvi, a spokeswoman for the hospital, said operations were not affected by the shootings and that it was not clear whether either of the two was employed by the medical center.

“There’s not any interruption to City of Hope services,” she said. She also said she was not aware of any altercations involving patients or staff before the shootings. “It took us a little bit by surprise,” she said.

Investigators said late Tuesday that there was no reason to believe that either victim worked at the hospital.