The shooting was reported around 8:20 a.m. in the 1500 block of Michigan Avenue. When authorities from the Santa Monica Fire Department arrived at the scene, they found two men suffering from multiple gunshot wounds to the torso.
The men were transported to a local trauma center for surgery, where one succumbed to his injuries. The condition of the other victim was not immediately known.
According to a preliminary investigation, the gunman walked up to the victims and opened fire, then ran back to a car, possibly a blue Infiniti, and fled. It's not immediately clear what prompted the shooting, but neighbors believe it could be gang-related.
"I heard a wham, wham, wham, wham shot, and I hit my living room floor because it was so loud I didn't know if it was going to come through my windows or what," said neighbor Cordia Bass. "So I just literally laid on the floor, just trembling."
Police say this morning's shooting is not connected to the community college or Friday's shooting rampage that killed six people, including the gunman.