Four killed in US restaurant shooting

A gunman, believed to be of Armenian descent, opened fire inside a packed restaurant in the North Hollywood district in Los Angeles, California, killing at least four people and injuring two others.

The incident occurred on Saturday in the restaurant where a man walked in and opened fire, police were quoted as saying by the Los Angeles Times.

The suspect, a white male in his 30s who was possibly an Armenian, fled the scene and remained at large, Los Angeles Police Department spokeswoman Rosario Herrera said. According to Herrera, three people were declared dead at the scene while one later succumbed to his injuries at the hospital.

The involvement of Armenian gangs cannot be ruled out, sources close to the investigation told the Los Angeles Times.

The victims were all men aged 20 to 25 years. The shootings came after a series of killings in the last two weeks that have diminished gains made this year in reducing the city's homicide rate.