LOS ANGELES, CA — At least 30 people were hurt early Saturday when a car drove into a crowd outside a music venue in East Hollywood, leaving one woman in critical condition and several others seriously injured. Police said the driver was later pulled from the vehicle by bystanders and then shot by an unknown person who fled the scene.

Los Angeles police identified the driver as 29-year-old Fernando Ramirez. He was hospitalized after the shooting and later booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, with formal charges to be determined by the district attorney.

Crash outside The Vermont sent victims to area hospitals

The incident unfolded around 2 a.m. outside The Vermont, near Santa Monica Boulevard and Vermont Avenue in east Los Angeles. Police said the car struck people gathered outside the venue after an event had ended and patrons were leaving.

By Saturday afternoon, authorities said 24 patients had been taken to hospitals. Among them was a woman in her 20s with leg injuries who remained in critical condition, while several others were listed in serious condition.

The crowd outside the club included venuegoers, valet attendants and food vendors from a nearby taco stand, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Bystanders pulled the driver out before gunfire broke out

Police said the vehicle became disabled after the crash, and people in the crowd dragged the driver from the car. During the confrontation that followed, the driver was beaten and then shot by a man who has not been caught.

The suspected gunman ran on foot and was last seen heading westbound from Vermont Avenue, according to police. Investigators described him as a Hispanic man about 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighing about 180 pounds, bald and wearing a blue jersey.

Authorities said he may have been armed with a silver revolver. The Los Angeles Police Department released three images of the alleged shooter Sunday evening.

Police say the motive for the crash remains unclear

Investigators have not said what prompted the driver to drive into the crowd. Police said the sequence began after an individual was removed from a nearby business, then later drove into people outside the venue.

ABC News reported that the motive for the crash is still under investigation. Police also said it has been determined that the driver was shot after the collision, though the reason for that confrontation remains under review.

The shooting suspect remains at large, and detectives are continuing to piece together what led to the violence outside the nightclub district.

Fire crews and police mounted a large emergency response

Authorities said 124 fire personnel responded to the scene as emergency workers treated victims and moved them to hospitals. The response drew more than 100 Los Angeles Fire Department and LAPD personnel, according to city officials.

Mayor Karen Bass called the episode a heartbreaking tragedy and thanked first responders for helping save lives. She said the hearts of Angelenos were with the victims and that a full investigation was underway.

The fire department said the scale of the response reflected the number of people hurt in the crowded area outside the venue. Officials have not said whether additional victims were treated at the scene and did not immediately release a full breakdown of injuries.

The Vermont says it is cooperating with investigators

The Vermont said it is working closely with law enforcement to make sure the person responsible is held accountable. The venue described the episode as a tragic accident and said its thoughts were with the victims and their families.

In its statement, the venue said the crash happened after an event ended and people were leaving the building. It also said the suspect was taken into custody by LAPD, although police separately said the driver was later booked after being hospitalized.

As investigators work to sort out the timeline, the scene remains one of the city’s most serious crowd-injury incidents in recent memory. Police said the crash, the shooting and the assault on the driver are all part of the ongoing case.