30 injured after car plows through crowd in East Hollywood, driver pulled from vehicle and shot

EAST HOLLYWOOD, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- At least 30 people were injured after a car plowed through a crowd early Saturday in East Hollywood, authorities said. The driver was pulled from the vehicle and shot after the crash.

It happened outside The Vermont Hollywood nightclub near the intersection of Santa Monica Boulevard and Vermont Avenue around 2 a.m. as the venue closed for the night.

Investigators say after reviewing security footage, they are sure it was an intentional act.

Los Angeles police say eight minutes after club security escorted a man outside, kicking him out of The Vermont Hollywood, he drove a Nissan Versa up onto the sidewalk, ramming into the packed crowd and injuring at least 30 people -- one of them critically.

The crowd then turned on the driver, pulling him from his car and kicking and punching him before someone else approached and shot the man.

The driver has been identified as 29-year-old Fernando Ramirez. He was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon. The district attorney will decide the actual charges, which have not yet been filed.

LAPD said all of the people injured, including Ramirez, are stable and expected to survive.

"When you review the video, it's clear that he drove that vehicle down a sidewalk and around a bus. It was an intentional act," Capt. Ben Fernandes with LAPD said. "Security attempted, from the club, attempted to detain him and handcuffed him, at which time an additional suspect, not related to our driver, came from across the street, armed with a firearm, and then shot our suspect in the buttocks."

Several sources tell ABC News that alcohol may be involved.

The shooter remained at large and was described as a bald Hispanic man, about 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighing about 180 pounds. He was wearing a blue jersey and was possibly armed with a silver revolver, police said.

Police say they obtained surveillance video of the shooter, and they plan to release a photo to help track him down.

LAFD initially said the driver had apparently lost consciousness at the time of the crash. The fire department later told ABC7 that, despite initial reports, the agency could no longer confirm that the driver lost consciousness.

The crowd of people injured in the ramming included clubgoers, valet attendants and food vendors from a nearby taco stand, according to the fire department.

The club was hosting a reggae/hip hop event from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., according to its online calendar.

"This is a heartbreaking tragedy. I want to thank the more than 100 LAFD and LAPD personnel who responded to the scene to help to save lives," Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement. "The hearts of Angelenos are with all of the victims impacted this morning - a full investigation into what happened is underway."

People nearby captured video of the chaotic aftermath of the ramming. The video shows police and fire officials gathering at the scene, tending to wounded and wheeling victims to ambulances. In total, 124 firefighters responded to the chaotic scene.

"Oh my god. Look at the girl down right there, she's not moving," a witness said through tears in a video posted to the Citizen app. "There's a girl right there not moving."

"We in the club, we standing, we're like five people behind, and we hear a loud bang. So we all start ducking. We think it's gunshots. We look out the club and it's a car into the f------ crowd right there. It's crazy because people everywhere are laying down. People are bleeding out and stuff. And we're like, 'Damn,' like, and we're in disbelief because, 20 seconds more and it could have been us," a witness recalled.

Eyewitness News crews went to nearby businesses in search of video of the incident. The gas station next door refused to release its surveillance video, and other businesses said they either had no cameras or their cameras were not working.

LAPD is investigating the cause and motive of the crash.

The Vermont Hollywood released the following statement:

"We are deeply saddened by the tragic incident that occurred early Saturday morning outside our venue. Our thoughts and heartfelt prayers are with the victims and their families during this difficult time.

At approximately 2:00 AM, after the conclusion of an event as patrons were exiting the venue, a driver veered onto the sidewalk and struck multiple individuals. The suspect was immediately taken into custody by the LAPD, and an investigation is currently underway.

We are working closely with law enforcement to ensure the person responsible for this horrific act is held fully accountable. We also want to extend our sincere gratitude to the first responders for their swift and compassionate action in assisting those affected."

An event scheduled at the nightclub on Saturday night was postponed to a later date "out of respect for the victims."

An Eyewitness News crew at the scene watched as about a dozen people showed up at The Vermont Hollywood, thinking the event was still happening.

"They definitely should have let us know before they drove out here," said Nate Speller, who drove 90 minutes to the nightclub. "It was a little bit of a drive, so we are unhappy about that. But obviously, it was a big event that happened last night."

ABC News and the Associated Press contributed to this report.