Gunman on Balcony Kills 1 Man, Wounds Another

A man opened fire from the balcony of his Downey apartment early Friday, killing one man and wounding another, authorities said. The shootings occurred shortly before 3 a.m. in the 7300 block of Florence Avenue

George Rodriguez, 22, of Bell Gardens was pronounced dead at the scene. The second man was taken to Downey Community Hospital in critical condition. Authorities declined to release his identity, but police Detective Dave Kelly said that he was a neighbor of the gunman.

Downey police initially feared that the gunman had barricaded himself inside his apartment. However, a sheriff’s special weapons team stormed it shortly before 8 a.m. and found no one. The suspect was identified as William Travis Whittington Jr., 24, of Downey. He was described as 5-foot-8, 145 pounds with blond hair and blue eyes. Kelley said the shooting was provoked by a neighborhood dispute.