Here's what we know about the East Hollywood nightclub incident

CNN

3 days ago

A lively night outside a bustling East Hollywood nightclub took a devastating turn early Saturday when a car barreled through a crowded sidewalk, injuring at least 30 people, including seven critically.
The crash occurred outside The Vermont Hollywood, where 29-year-old Fernando Ramirez had been kicked out for being disruptive before police say he drove his car into the crowd. The suspect was beaten and shot by bystanders after the crash and is now in custody, facing potential charges including attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon, police said.
Video footage after the crash showed blood on the street and injured patrons sprawled on the pavement as first responders provided aid, with some victims carried away on stretchers. Police cordoned off the area as investigators worked to piece together the sequence of events.
The crowd had gathered outside for valet services, food stands and entry to the nightclub. A taco stand and valet podium were among the structures hit, but the venue itself sustained no structural damage, officials said.
Ramirez, who remains hospitalized, was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, but a motive has not yet been identified, a Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson told CNN.
Here's what we know so far, as investigators piece together what happened that night:
The crash occurred around 2 a.m. local time, as patrons were leaving The Vermont Hollywood, located just west of the famed Sunset Junction in the Silver Lake district.
'A driver veered onto the sidewalk and struck multiple individuals,' the venue said in a statement. The club was hosting a reggae-hip hop event from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., according to its online calendar.
A fight broke out outside the club before the crash, Maria Medrano told the Associated Press. The car hit a hot dog stand operated by Medrano and her husband, who narrowly escaped injury.
'The car stopped once it hit the hot dog stand; it got stuck there,' Medrano told the AP from the hospital. 'If not, I wouldn't be here to tell' the story.
Police initially responded to reports of an assault with a deadly weapon but arrived to find the car had plowed into the crowd 'for reasons unknown,' with bystanders assaulting the driver, authorities said.
The suspect was 'immediately taken into custody by the LAPD, and an investigation is currently underway,' the venue said.
The driver had been kicked out of The Vermont Hollywood for being disruptive prior to the incident, Los Angeles Police Department Captain Ben Fernandes told the Los Angeles Times.
'From review of the video, he went up to the sidewalk further down and when he hit bystanders, it was an intentional act,' Fernandes told the LA Times.
After the crash, bystanders pulled the driver from the vehicle and began assaulting him, according to Jeff Lee, a public information officer with the LAPD. During the altercation, one of the bystanders shot the driver, Lee said.
First responders discovered the gunshot wound during a secondary assessment, said Capt. Adam VanGerpen, public information officer for the Los Angeles Fire Department.
The suspect, who police believe was intoxicated, was taken to the hospital for surgery, a law enforcement official briefed on the situation previously told CNN.
Authorities have found no evidence to suggest the incident was connected to terrorism or motivated by criminal intentions beyond the driver's impaired state, a law enforcement official said.
The man who police believe shot Ramirez reportedly fled the scene wearing a blue jersey, officers said. Police believe he used a silver revolver in the shooting.
A massive emergency response team of 124 firefighters responded to the crowded scene, treating and transporting victims to trauma centers and nearby hospitals, the LAFD said.
'Many people were lined up at the valet podium, coming out of the nightclub, and gathered around the food stands,' said LAFP public information officer Erik Scott.
Seven victims were hospitalized in critical condition, six in serious condition, and 10 in fair condition. An additional seven people declined transport after being evaluated at the scene. The victims, ranging in age from their mid-20s to early 30s, included 18 women and 12 men, according to the LAPD.
Most injuries were from broken bones and soft tissue trauma, but one victim also suffered a gunshot wound.
'We're very fortunate there were no deaths … When you have 30 individuals injured and seven critical. We're very appreciative of the coordinated effort of our public safety partners and we remain committed to supporting the victims in the community,' Scott said.
Scott commended the efforts of bystanders, many of whom stepped in to help injured strangers.
'People were helping each other out,' VanGerpen said. 'People were waiting to go inside there (the nightclub), they're ordering tacos, so they're seeing people that they don't even know are injured. They're stepping in to help them out.'
Videos taken after the crash show bystanders helping victims, some of whom were still bleeding on the pavement as they waited for aid.
Mayor Karen Bass called the incident a 'heartbreaking tragedy' and praised the swift response of more than 100 police and fire personnel. 'The hearts of Angelenos are with all of the victims impacted this morning — a full investigation into what happened is underway.'
CNN's Julia Vargas Jones, Emma Tucker, Josh Campbell, David Williams and Lauren Mascarenhas contributed to this report.