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May 1, 2008 6:05 am US/Pacific
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Suspect Arrested In Connection To Compton Shootout
COMPTON, Calif.
Authorities have identified the 19-year-old gunman who allegedly used a high-caliber assault rifle in a shootout with sheriff's deputies in Compton on Tuesday night.
Ahmad Whitfield was taken into custody on Wednesday morning and is being held in lieu of $1 million bail, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Web site.
The shootout took place on Tuesday night around 8:20 p.m., when two sheriff's deputies attempted to locate a gang member in a housing complex at Alondra Boulevard and Grandee Avenue, said Deputy Rick Pedroza of the Sheriff's Headquarters Bureau.
As the deputies came near a group of 20 to 30 people, Whitfield stood up and fired a high-caliber assault rifle toward the deputies, Pedroza said, adding that the deputies fired back toward the suspect.
No one was hurt in the exchange of gunfire, he said.
After the shooting, the gunman fled into an area where several apartment buildings stand, prompting deputies to establish a large search perimeter and evacuate 150 residents for their safety, said Sgt. Eric Castano of the sheriff's Compton Station.
A special weapons team found Whitfield and took him into custody, Pedroza said, adding that the high-caliber weapon used during the shootout was found in the apartment where the suspect had been hiding.
During the search, sheriff's detained and questioned at least 10 other people, Castano said. Authorities did not immediately say if any of them were arrested.
(© 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)