8 shot, 3 stabbed, 1 dead at east LA house party

[Borderwatch]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100926/...2tlBHNlYwN5bl9

LOS ANGELES – Eight people were shot — one fatally — and another three stabbed Saturday after a fight broke out at a birthday party, authorities said.

One man, Steven Lopez, 22, died at the scene and two other gunshot victims were taken to County-USC Medical Center with critical injuries, police said.

A dispute at the late-night house party in the Boyle Heights neighborhood escalated until several people pulled out guns and knives.

The condition of the other five shooting victims was described only as stable and there was no word on the condition of the stabbing victims, but all the remaining victims were expected to survive.

"I've never seen so many aggravated assaults in one scene," Capt. Anita Ortega told the Los Angeles Times.

No arrests have been made. Ortega said that different kind of shell casings at the scene suggested multiple shooters.

The incident does not appear to be gang related, authorities said.

"We have no indication that this was a gang site," Ortega said. "Only that it was a house party open to everyone with a fee of $10 and a lot of beer."