The incident happened around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday on the 12400 block of Bullis Road. Authorities said it started as an altercation between two drivers in a residential neighborhood in Lynwood.
"We just got in and out of nowhere we just heard somebody shoot," said witness Jesus Rojas, who was having a family gathering at his home when his Christmas Eve celebration was interrupted by gunfire. "We just saw the cops right in front and we saw the body."
A Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy was on patrol in the area when he heard gunshots. When the deputy approached the shooting scene, he was flagged down by a witness. That's when he saw the victim face down on the ground next to his car.
"The witness told the deputy that he had seen two vehicles stopped in the middle of the road. Both drivers got out of the vehicle and they started to exchange words," said Dep. Guillermina Saldana.
That argument escalated when one of the men pulled out a handgun and shot the victim, who died at the scene. The gunman then drove off in a black car, going northbound on Bullis Road.
The victim has not been identified, and an autopsy is pending.
The witness was only able to provide investigators with a very vague description of the suspect. Anyone with information was asked to call the L.A. County Sheriff's Department at (323) 890-5500.
