Deadly shooting in California bowling alley

A shooting late Friday night at a bowling alley in Torrance, California, has left at least three dead and four injured, police said.

Authorities said they responded to reports of a shooting at the Gable House Bowl shortly after midnight local time. Officers found multiple victims with gunshot wounds upon entering the gaming venue.

Three men died at the scene, police said. Two of the wounded victims were taken to a local hospital while the other two tended to their wounds themselves.

Police said on Twitter that an investigation was ongoing and asked people to stay away from the area.

In a statement made later police said they were working to identify suspects.

Giant fight, then shots

Police did not provide further details about the shooting. However, witnesses told local media that a fight had broken out between two groups of people at the bowling alley. 

Wes Hamad, a 29-year-old Torrance resident, told AP that a "huge fight" broke out and lasted about five minutes.  The fight blocked the entrance to Gable House Bowl as the scene descended into "complete chaos," he added. "I grabbed my niece and started running towards the far end of the bowling alley," Hamad said. "As we were running, we heard 15 shots."

Torrance is a coastal city located some 20 miles (32 kilometers) south of Los Angeles.

cmb/rc (AP, AFP, Reuters, dpa)