$50K Reward Offered In Birthday Party Shooting

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — The City Council Wednesday approved a $50,000 reward for information leading to suspected gang members who opened fire on a 5-year-old girl's birthday party in Sylmar two months ago.

Officials Offer $50K Reward For Information Leading To Suspected Gang Members, KNX 1070's Bill Cooper reports.

Gunfire erupted at around 9:15 p.m. on Aug. 14, on Polk Street, according to LAPD Capt. Melissa Zak.

"It was a regular house party. It was not sort of a gang-affiliated party. It was just a family having a party," Councilman Richard Alarcon said.

Alarcon said the suspects, who drove up to the party for a 5-year-old girl and opened fire with a shotgun, are thought to be gang members.

Six people were wounded, including four juveniles.

"There is no act more reprehensible than harming children, and these criminals -- who targeted a 5-year-old's birthday party and shot at kids in a bounce-house -- cannot be allowed to walk free on our streets," said Alarcon, who proposed the reward.

"Someone knows who committed this shooting, and I hope that this $50,000 reward will be the extra incentive needed for someone to come forward and send a message that we will not tolerate violence against kids within our community," he added.

"We don't know anything else about the suspects involved in this case, and that's why we're coming forward to the community to ask them for their help because we believe that the community does know who the shooters were," Zak said on Tuesday.

"We're imploring them -- imagine if it was your son or daughter that was in that bouncer that was hit, what would you do?" she added.

Tipsters are asked to contact LAPD Mission Gang Detective Ryan Verna at (818) 838-9922 or Officer Christine Moselle at (818) 838-9810 during business hours and 1-877-LAPD-24-7 during non-business hours.

Anyone who wishes to remain anonymous can contact Crime Stoppers by sending a text message to  phone number 274637. All messages should begin with the letters "LAPD." Tipsters can also log onto LAPDonline.org, click on "web tips" and follow the prompts.

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