A car plowed through a crowd at a nightclub in East Hollywood early Saturday injuring at least 36 people, after which a man in the crowd shot the driver and fled, authorities said.
The crash was reported just before 2 a.m. in the 4600 block of West Santa Monica Boulevard near Vermont Avenue, where a crowd had gathered outside The Vermont Hollywood, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department and media reports.
Seven people were in critical condition, six in serious condition, 10 in fair condition and seven patients refused to go to the hospital after on-scene medical assessments, LAFD spokeswoman Lyndsey Lantz said Saturday.
Video of the incident showed firefighters placing tarps on the street to treat crash victims, as well as a heavily damaged car with a damaged windshield and broken headlights on the sidewalk in front of the nightclub.
At least 36 people suffered from minor pain to serious fractures and lacerations, police said Sunday. The vehicle struck several individuals, and some were briefly trapped underneath it.
Multiple ambulances filled the street, and 124 fire department personnel responded, according to media reports and Lantz.
LAPD officers were dispatched to the scene in response to a report of an assault with a deadly weapon, police said.
“Preliminary information indicates a vehicle drove into a crowd for reasons still under investigation,” according to an LAPD statement Saturday. “When officers arrived, they found the driver being assaulted by bystanders and determined he had sustained a gunshot wound. He was transported to a local hospital and his condition is unknown at this time.”
During the altercation involving the driver, the shooting suspect fled the scene on foot and was last seen heading westbound from Vermont Avenue, police said, describing him as a male Latino, between 5 feet, 6 inches and 5 feet, 7 inches tall, weighing between 150 and 170 pounds with gauges in both ears and a goatee beard. The suspect was last seen wearing a blue Dodgers jacket, a light blue jersey with the number “5” and blue jeans.
Citing police sources, local media reported that the driver had been removed from the nightclub prior to the crash.
Police identified the driver Sunday as Fernando Ramirez, who was taken into custody at the scene after his vehicle came to a stop upon colliding with several food carts that were lodged underneath. Ramirez, who police said sustained a gunshot wound to the lower back, was booked for assault with a deadly weapon, force likely to produce great bodily injury.
Background information on Ramirez and his city of residence were not provided.
Mayor Karen Bass called the crash a “heartbreaking tragedy” and thanked the “LAFD and LAPD personnel who responded to the scene to help to save lives. The hearts of Angelenos are with all of the victims impacted this morning — a full investigation into what happened is underway.”
Authorities urged anyone with information on the shooting to call the LAPD’s Rampart Division at 213-484-3424. For anonymous tips, call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or visit lacrimestoppers.org.
Updated July 21, 2025, 9:07 a.m.
