Series of shootings in Lancaster leaves four dead within 24 hours, Mayor R. Rex Parris pleads for more deputy sheriffs

LANCASTER, Calif. (KABC) – A series of shootings in Lancaster left four people dead within two days. The city’s mayor is pleading for more help for public safety.

According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, two people were shot in the 800 block of E Avenue J-12 in the city of Antelope Valley shortly before 6 p.m. Wednesday evening.

The two were taken to a local hospital and pronounced dead. Further details were not immediately available.

The night before, two people were killed and at least one injured in three shootings.

Investigators are examining whether there is a connection between the four shootings, which occurred less than 24 hours apart.

Lancaster Mayor R. Rex Parris says his city feels overwhelmed and underfunded.

He is calling on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to allocate more Sheriff’s Department resources to law enforcement.

“We only have 50% of the police officers we need,” Parris told Eyewitness News. “They knew this was going to happen. They knew it was coming. For some reason, the county is not giving us enough police officers to protect this community, even though we’re paying for it.”