Deadly road rage shooting in broad daylight shuts down 5 Freeway for hours, CHP says

For more than eight hours Thursday night, northbound lanes of the 5 Freeway in Boyle Heights remained closed as authorities investigated an apparent road rage shooting that occurred during rush hour traffic, killing one person and injuring another.

The two suspects were able to drive off, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The CHP responded to a call of shots fired and a vehicle driving in the wrong direction on the freeway around 4 p.m. Thursday just north of Grande Vista Avenue, according to a CHP news release.

Two vehicles, a gold Cadillac and another described only as a dark-colored SUV, were involved in a road rage incident, chasing each other on the freeway before the Cadillac crashed into an uninvolved third vehicle, the CHP said.

At that point, two men exited the SUV and opened fire on the Cadillac’s two occupants, striking both the driver and passenger, officials said. The driver of the Cadillac then made a U-turn — driving southbound into northbound traffic — attempting to escape the shooters.

There was no description or other information available about the suspects, who remain outstanding, CHP Sgt. Robert McIntosh said Friday morning.

The passenger of the Cadillac, who was identified by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner only as a man in his 20s, was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver was transported to a hospital for treatment. The driver’s condition was not clear Friday morning.

The freeway was shut down after 4 p.m. Thursday and was reopened around 1 a.m. Friday, McIntosh said. Traffic was backed up for miles — all the way to the 605 Freeway — before it reopened.

Former Times photojournalist Bryan Chan drove past the scene of the incident on the southbound 5 Freeway around 5 p.m. Thursday where northbound traffic had ground to a halt. Stuck drivers were standing outside their cars and on the median, he said.

Aerial video captured by KTLA-TV showed first responders on the freeway beside a white Tesla, which had damage to the front driver’s side, and the Cadillac with significant damage. Another red sedan showed damage from the crash.

A white sheet was draped over the front passenger’s side of the Cadillac and it appeared that bullets had punctured the rear passenger’s side window.