Andrew James Chavez, 18

Andrew James Chavez, an 18-year-old Latino, was shot and killed on Saturday, Sept. 30, in the 43000 block of 6th Street East in Lancaster, according to Los Angeles County coroner’s records. 

Chavez and his girlfriend, Clotee Annitinette Reyes, 19, had gone to an impromptu party at a friend’s house with about 20 other people, said Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Lt. Derrick Alfred. 

The group got together on the spur of the moment, sometime after midnight, to celebrate a friend’s birthday, Alfred said. 

As people were heading outside to leave, “some kind of argument occurred,” he said. Moments later, a car drove up to the departing people and someone inside opened fire.

Chavez and Reyes were in the street when they were struck by gunfire about 1:45 a.m. They were both pronounced dead at the scene at 2 a.m., according to coroner's records. The cause of death for both was listed as gunshot wounds to the chest.

Investigators got warrants to search for the weapon inside the house where the party was held and two other residences, Alfred said, and they are interviewing witnesses, but no arrests have been made. 

“We think they may have been unintended targets,” Alfred said. “There was just indiscriminate gunfire and we think they were caught in the middle of it.”

Witnesses have been giving investigators varying versions of what happened, Alfred said,  and it’s not clear if the shooters had been at the party earlier before they got into their car. 

Chavez lived in Lancaster in his family’s home, Alfred said. Reyes lived in Palmdale with her family.

Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500. Those wishing to remain anonymous should call Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477.  

Contact the Homicide Report. Follow @latimeshomicide on Twitter.