Shootout Outside Whittier Bar Leaves Man Dead, 2 Hurt

WHITTIER (CBSLA) – A man with gunshot wounds died after crashing his car while trying to flee a dispute outside a Whittier bar overnight Friday that ended in an exchange of gunfire that also wounded two others, including a security guard.

The shooting was reported just before 1 a.m. Saturday outside the Sportsman's Lounge in the 13900 block of Imperial Highway, in the community of La Miranda.

According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, the incident began when the 41-year-old security guard for the bar was involved in a dispute with several customers that spilled into the parking lot.

During the argument, several people pulled out handguns and started shooting at each other, the sheriff's department said.

"It looks like the security guard and these people knew each other," LASD Lt. John Corina told CBS2. "And there might have been some kind of personal dispute. And it seemed like it escalated into the parking lot. And instead of just walking away and cooling down, it looks like they grabbed handguns and began shooting at each other."

One wounded man got into his car and tried to drive away, about one mile from the bar, he collided into a center median in the 13600 block of Imperial Highway. He died at the scene.

CBS2's Joy Benedict reports the deceased has now been identified as 30-year-old Adrian Quesada, a resident of Ontario.

The car itself was riddled with bullets. Investigators are unsure exactly when the man was struck by gunfire. They do not believe the collision killed him.

A  25-year-old woman were taken to the hospital with gunshot wounds. The security guard was also shot. Both are expected to survive, the sheriff's department said.

A gun was recovered from the dead man's car. The circumstances that prompted the dispute are still under investigation.

No arrests have been made.