A 19-year-old man was shot and killed on June 5 at approximately 11 a.m. as he walked with family members on Sunset Boulevard after attending a graduation ceremony for a sibling at a nearby middle school.

The victim, Christopher Hernandez, was shot while walking in front of this Del Taco in East Hollywood on June 5. No motive has been established, but investigators said it may be gang-related. (photo by Edwin Folven)

Det.  Lisa Governo, with the Los Angeles Police Department’s Northeast Division, said the exact motive for the shooting has not been determined, but investigators are treating it as possibly being gang related. The victim, Christopher Hernandez, had earlier attended a graduation ceremony at Thomas Starr King Middle School on Fountain Avenue, a couple of blocks east of Sunset Boulevard.

Governo said the victim’s younger sister attended the middle school, and Hernandez was walking with his parents and sister on a stretch of Sunset Boulevard in East Hollywood that is located a half-mile from the campus. The detective said investigators are still trying to determine what prompted the shooting, but Hernandez had reportedly argued with a man after leaving the campus and before reaching the location where he was shot.

“We are working very diligently on generating leads,” Governo said. “We are working very hard on it.”

Thomas Starr King Middle School was placed on lock down for approximately 40 minutes after the shooting. However, Governo said there is no indication that any of the students were ever in danger.

“It had nothing to do with the school,” Governo said. “He was with family when a car drove up the street and someone fired at him. We are not saying it was gang related, but we are looking into it.”

Governo said the shooting occurred near the drive-through lane of a Del Taco restaurant located in the 4300 block of Sunset Blvd., north of Fountain Avenue. She added that the family lives in the general area where the shooting occurred, and they may have been walking to a nearby bus stop.

Witnesses told police that a suspect in a black sedan allegedly pulled up to the group and an occupant fired multiple shots, striking Hernandez. None of the other family members were struck. The vehicle fled eastbound on Sunset Boulevard toward Fountain Avenue.

Police responded to a 911 call and found Hernandez lying on the sidewalk. Paramedics transported him to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The suspect is described as a Hispanic man, approximately 18 to 25 years old. No further information was available about the suspect or the vehicle.

Anyone with information about the murder is asked to contact dets. Governo or Aguilar, with the LAPD’s Northeast  Division, at (323)344-5744.