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3 Gunmen Shoot At Occupied Business, Vehicle In La Mesa, No Injuries Reported

A La Mesa police vehicle drives the streets, May 17, 2019.
Claire Trageser
A La Mesa police vehicle drives the streets, May 17, 2019.

Three people armed with handguns shot at a business and a vehicle in La Mesa, but no one was struck by the gunfire, police said Wednesday.

The shooting happened shortly after 8 p.m. Tuesday on El Cajon Boulevard just west of Parks Avenue, La Mesa police Lt. Brian Stoney said.

The target of the shooting was an occupied business in a strip mall, Stoney said. The business' front window was shattered by the gunfire. The lieutenant did not disclose the name of the business.

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"This appears to be an isolated incident," Stoney said Tuesday. "And although the suspects should be considered armed and dangerous, we do not believe there is any further threat in this immediate area right now."

At least four men were inside the business when officer arrived, but were uninjured, the lieutenant said, adding that the men were detained for questioning.

Officers spotted a vehicle driving away from the business with several bullet holes in its windshield, he said. Officers stopped the vehicle and also detained its two occupants, both men, for questioning.

Witnesses told police they saw three people armed with handguns open fire on the business and the vehicle before fleeing in a vehicle, described only as a dark SUV, Stoney said. The suspect vehicle was last seen heading westbound on El Cajon Boulevard.

No description of the suspects was immediately available and a motive for the shooting remains unclear.

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Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call La Mesa police at (619) 667-1400.

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