Three men have been shot and wounded when suspected gang members opened fire on them near a Mobile gas station in central Los Angeles, California.

The shooting occurred early Wednesday morning in Westlake district when two men believed to be gang members opened fire on a white Chevrolet with four men on board, a Los Angeles Police Department spokesman said Wednesday.

One of the victims had a wound to the head, another was shot in the arm, and the third was shot in the leg. None of the three sustained life-threatening injuries, police said.

According to police officials, the victims were dropping a friend off at the gas station when they were approached by two men who began arguing with them.

Police initially said the shooting was the result of an attempted carjacking, but later said the reason for the incident was unknown because the car was not taken.

The gunmen fled the scene after the shooting.

Every year, more than 30,000 people are shot and killed in the United States.

The US averages 87 gun deaths each day as a function of gun violence, with an average of 183 injured, according to the University of Chicago Crime Lab and the Centers for Disease Control.

About 4.5 million firearms are sold annually in the United States at a cost of 2 to 3 billion dollars.

SB/AGB