The shooting happened around 3 p.m. Sunday near Garfield Avenue and Parke Street, just a block from the Villa Park Community Center.
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A suspect exited a vehicle and fired shots toward the area where the child was playing, Pasadena police said.
The boy was hit by gunfire more than once and sustained life-threatening injuries, authorities say.
One witness said she heard as many as 20 shots.
Authorities believe two to three people were in the getaway car, described as a light-colored sedan. Investigators are working to determine a description of the suspects, all of which remain outstanding.
The boy was described as alert and conscious when he was transported to a local hospital in serious but stable condition.
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It was not immediately clear who was the intended target of the shooting.
A woman whose brother was shot and killed on the same block last fall spoke to Eyewitness News.
"It's hard, and opens our wounds...We as a community, we need to come together and help each other to stop this violence," she said.
Anyone with information on this shooting is urged to call Pasadena police at 626-744-4501. Tipsters can also call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477.