"They said it involved drugs, gangs and a girl," Lacrista said.

Sergeant Carbone said it was not clear if the shooting involved gangs or "one or two people."

The murder held some passing interest because it involved Mexican gangs.

Stone battles could be enormous affairs, lasting for several days and involving large gangs of players.

The police, who were still trying to identify the victims and learn what prompted the argument, said they believe the incident might have involved Asian gangs.

The police believed that many of the killings involved gangs and were related to the drug trade.

Although the majority of serious crime involves local gangs, incidents are usually indiscriminate and can also occur in tourist areas.

This often involves gangs of criminals who fake car crashes.

"Usually it's a domestic type of thing or involves drugs or gangs," he said.

The district attorney has pursued a number of cases involving gangs organizing huge drug trades within housing complexes.