Man shoots drinking buddy in car in South L.A., police say [Updated]

A man is under arrest after allegedly shooting a friend while the two were drinking together in a parked car in South Los Angeles.

The car was parked behind a home on the 200 block of West 50th Street at about 8:50 p.m. Sunday when the pair started arguing, then one man shot the other in the head, said Sgt. Omar Bazulto of the LAPD's Newton station.

The shooting did not appear to be gang-related, Bazulto said. He was unsure what the men argued about.

City News Service reported the victim might have said words to the effect of: "Well, why don't you shoot me?"

The victim was in his 20s and the suspect in his 30s. Their names were not released.

Officers from the Newton station were also investigating a second, unrelated shooting death that occurred early Sunday morning.

A 33-year-old man was walking down the street on the 1400 block of East 23rd Street when he was shot "numerous times" in the chest, Bazulto said.

[Updated at 10:48 a.m. Oct. 3: The victim was identified Monday by the L.A. County Coroner's office as Jose Luis Rivera, 37, of Los Angeles.]

The killing was not believed to be gang-related. He had no information on the suspects.

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-- Abby Sewell

Image: Map shows location of the 50th Street shooting in purple, as well as 193 other homicides (in red) since January 2007. Credit: Homicide Report