Girl, 16, Shot at Teen Hangout in Buena Park

A 16-year-old Long Beach girl was shot Sunday at a fast-food restaurant in Buena Park that in recent weeks has become a popular gathering spot for large numbers of out-of-town teen-agers, police said.

Christine Amundson was shot once in the right leg shortly after midnight while standing with friends in the parking lot of the Jack-in-the-Box in the 5900 block of Orangethorpe Avenue, authorities said. She was taken to La Palma Intercommunity Hospital, where she was treated and released.

Amundson was shot with a .38-caliber bullet, Buena Park police spokesman Richard McMillen said in a prepared statement.

Two Men Shooting

Witnesses told police they saw two men shooting--one with a shotgun and the other with a handgun--at Amundson and her friends from across the parking lot, McMillen said.

No one else was wounded, McMillen said.

Police arrested one suspect Sunday afternoon but declined to release his name while they were still seeking the second suspect, Lt. Tony Kelly said. The suspect in custody is an 18-year-old from La Palma, he said.

The shooting occurred after police had gone to the restaurant several times Saturday evening to quell disturbances. The suspects apparently left the area and then came back before the shooting occurred, Kelly said.

“I don’t think it was racial or gangs,” Kelly said. “It’s not rival gangs within the community. Our concern is that they’re not local gangs.”

Popular Hangout

Kelly said the restaurant has recently become a “popular hangout” for teen-agers from surrounding communities, such as La Palma and Cerritos. Police said they don’t know why teen-agers are attracted to the restaurant at that location.