LOS ANGELES, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- Two gunmen shot and wounded eight people, including girls aged at 10 to 12 at a bus stop in Los Angeles Wednesday, police said.

    The two suspects walked to the bus stop at Vernon and Central avenues in the city and opened fire at a crowd, police said.

    The three girls and a 49-year-old woman were all in critical condition. Other victims suffered injuries ranging from minor to critical, Fire Department spokeswoman d'Lisa Davies said.

    The shooting occurred around 3:15 p.m. (2315 GMT) at Central and Vernon avenues. Two of the victims ran away and were found wounded outside a nearby middle school, police officer Sara Faden said.

    The suspects ran away and remained at large, according to police.

    Police set up a perimeter in the area and were searching for the suspects.

    The motive for the shooting was still under investigation.

    It was the second major outburst of street violence in the city in a week's span.

    On Feb. 21, gang-related shootings broke out in broad daylight in the city's northeast area, leading to a gun battle in which police killed one gunman, wounded another and swarmed a neighborhood with heavily armed officers who captured a third suspect.