3 Dead, 4 Injured in Torrance Bowling Alley Shooting

Three people were fatally shot and four others were injured in a Friday night shooting at a bowling alley in Torrance, according to police. Authorities responded to a call  just before midnight about multiple shots fired at Gable House Bowl on the 22000 block of Hawthorne Boulevard.

Three men died on the scene and two of those injured were transported to a hospital. Two of the three killed were identified by family members as Robert Meekins and Astin Edwards, both 28, and Michael Radford, 20. Witnesses said a group of about 20 people were bowling together when a dispute broke out in the group, followed by shots being fired. It is unclear whether there was one shooter or several. No arrests have been made. “Upon arrival, officers discovered multiple subjects with gunshot wounds inside the location,” the Torrance Police Department said in a news release. “Officers began life-saving measures which included CPR and the use of a defibrillator. The Torrance Fire Department also treated individuals at the scene.” Graphic cellphone footage filmed inside the bowling alley after the shooting showed police providing aid to a man who appeared to have been shot and was lying on the stairs of the bowling alley. Wes Hamad, a 29-year-old Torrance resident, was at the bowling alley with his 13-year-old niece and cousin when he saw a “huge fight” break out. Hamad said the brawl, which lasted about five minutes, blocked the entrance of Gable House Bowl and devolved into “complete chaos.” “I grabbed my niece and started running toward the far end of the bowling alley,” he said. “As we were running, we heard 15 shots.” As he was leaving, Hamad said he saw a woman weeping over a man who had multiple gunshot wounds in his head and neck. Witnesses described the scene inside the alley as chaotic with patrons in disarray, hiding to save their lives. “Bowlers were diving under the benches,” witness Dana Scott said. “People that were still bowling on the lanes were on the floor, underneath the seats, behind the benches and several of us ran into the bar.” Investigators were still on the scene at 6 a.m. Saturday as a panicked crowd gathered behind the police tape to see if their loved ones were inside. Brandon Tyre, 31, told the Los Angeles Times that his brother had been shot in the chest and remained inside. Tyre was outside waiting for information on his brother. The pair was celebrating a friend’s birthday at the bowling alley. Gable House Bowl is described on its website as a gaming venue that offers bowling, laser tag and an arcade. “We currently have detectives on scene looking to identify the suspect and looking to determine the motive,” Sgt. Ronald Harris with the Torrance Police Department said earlier. The agency tweeted just after 2 p.m. that all units have cleared the scene. Anyone with information on the shooting is urged to call the Torrance Police Department at 310-328-3456.