Woodland Hills, CA — A tragic incident early Sunday at a busy house party in Woodland Hills resulted in the death of a 16-year-old boy and injuries to six other individuals, authorities reported. The Los Angeles Police Department responded to the scene at a large house on Winnetka Avenue and Hatteras Street around 1:30 a.m., where they estimate 200 to 300 guests were in attendance.
The scene of the crime, a lavish hilltop home frequently rented for social gatherings, was the setting for what was billed on social media as a “VIP party.” Organized by a group known for hosting ‘rage parties,’ the event was heavily promoted through Instagram and an exclusive app. Following the chaotic night, attendee Erik Placencio shared, “It’s a house mansion party… I’m not even ever going to these again,” reflecting the shock and sudden aversion to what was meant to be a celebratory event.
The shooting reportedly stemmed from a verbal altercation that escalated dramatically. According to the police, an altercation during the party led to one of the guests being asked to leave, which subsequently triggered the gunfire.
Erik Placencio recounted the terrifying moment when he was getting drinks with his brother and suddenly heard arguing followed by rapid gunshots. “Just screaming everywhere,” he said. Pandemonium ensued as partygoers scrambled for safety, with some even jumping over balconies and fences to escape the hail of bullets.
As he fled the chaos inside, Placencio witnessed further gunfire erupt just before his eyes. “I hear one, two, three immediate… like shots, and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh.’ So I saw him just, like, drop, like, to his, like, left side,” he described, noting his attempts to leverage his EMT training to assist the fallen victim, to no avail.
Authorities declared the teenager dead at the scene. The six other wounded individuals, five men between the ages of 19 and 34, were transported to a local hospital. All are expected to survive their injuries.
In their ongoing investigation, the LAPD is scouring the scene for surveillance footage and eyewitness accounts, according to Lt. Guy Golan. “We are going to be tracking them down and going to get statements,” he stated, indicating the complexity of investigating a crime scene with hundreds of potential witnesses and some level of video surveillance coverage.
Further commenting on the challenges presented by the scale of the event and the crime scene, Lt. Golan noted, “It’s a large crime scene and there were a lot of people here, which means there’s witnesses we still have to uncover.” Additionally, he mentioned that despite rigorous security checks that included pat-downs at the entrance, the shooter was somehow able to smuggle a weapon into the party.
The police are urging anyone with insights or footage of the incident to come forward to assist with the case. As the community reels from this shocking violence, the hope is that those responsible will soon be brought to justice.