Pike Outlets close early in Long Beach after fight breaks out; 2 arrested

LONG BEACH, Calif. - Two people were arrested after a fight broke out at the Long Beach Pike Saturday. Less than an hour later, a 16-year-old boy was shot nearby in downtown Long Beach.

Police responded with an increased presence at the Pike Outlets, after reports of a large gathering being planned on social media. The Long Beach Police Department sent out officers "to promote safety for all visitors and deter unlawful activity," according to LBPD Sgt. Bradford Stein. 

But around 5:40 p.m., video captured a woman and a girl fighting among a large crowd near Bay Street and Aquarium Way. Officers were able to break up the fight, and both people involved were arrested. 

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Less than an hour later, a boy was shot at First Street and The Promenade. Police said the boy was shot in his lower body. Paramedics took him to the hospital and he's now in stable condition, according to police.

Officials are still looking for a suspect. At this point, the LBPD can't confirm whether the two incidents were related.

Some Pike businesses closed early Saturday out of an abundance of caution, Stein said. The LBPD kept increased patrols in the area throughout the evening.

"Last night, we had hundreds of juveniles come to The Pike as part of a viral social media meet up," LBPD Chief Wally Hebeish said in a social media post Sunday. "Our officers were prepared and extremely visible throughout the downtown area. In addition to spreading available resources throughout various other parts of the city, we found it necessary to declare a Stage 2 Tactical Alert, meaning we held over our day shift officers and deployed our afternoon shift officers quickly to ensure we were able to support the group activity in downtown, as well as respond to calls for service citywide.

"At one point, a fight broke out, and officers immediately intervened by running into a large crowd, taking control of the situation, and arresting both suspects involved," Hebeish continued. "Shortly thereafter, a shooting occurred outside of The Pike area — again, officers were almost immediately on scene and began providing medical aid to the victim. We're actively investigating the incident and will hold the suspect responsible for their actions.

"I am incredibly proud of the efforts of our officers last night, and I want to reiterate that the Long Beach Police Department will not tolerate criminal acts or violence in our community."

Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson issued a statement Sunday, saying he's "proud of the incredible preparation, response, and follow up of our Long Beach Police Department. They were prepared when the group arrived, and remained very present and visible throughout our Downtown. Thanks to the swift response of our officers, no businesses were vandalized."

Anyone with information regarding the shooting was urged to call the LBPD at 562-435-6711. Anonymous calls can be made to Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or tips may be sent to lacrimesstoppers.org.

City News Service contributed to this report.