THEME PARK GUNFIRE KILLS 1, INJURES 2.

Byline: Amy Collins and Lisa Van Proyen Daily News Staff Writers

A 16-year-old boy was shot to death in the parking lot of Magic Mountain and two others were injured Wednesday night in what may have been a gang incident, officials said.

The boy died at the scene from at least one gunshot wound to the head, said Capt. Leonard Miller of Los Angeles County Fire Station 76.

A 14-year-old male victim was shot in the foot and the other wounded victim - a 37-year-old woman - was shot in the hand, Miller said. Those two were transported to Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial Hospital.

``There's a possibility that it could be gang related,'' Sgt. Vince Callier of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said at a Wednesday night news conference outside the theme park.

Witnesses said the altercation did not appear to be gang-related, but instead started as a small fistfight as two park guests were waiting to board the trams to cars parked farther away from the front gate.

Sara Alexander of Sherman Oaks said she had taken her two sons to Magic Mountain and they were leaving the park when the fight started.

Her son, Danny Cohen, 17, was in the first line of people surrounding two teen-agers as they squared off to fight. Cohen said one teen, wearing a blue jumpsuit, knocked down the other teen with a single punch to the jaw and then he ran into the parking lot with his friends.

When the teen who had been knocked down came to, he and his friends ran after the other boys, Cohen said. Standing nearby, the female friends of the pursuing boys screamed, ``No, no, don't do it,'' Cohen said.

``Next thing I knew, five shots went off,'' Alexander said.

The statement from Magic Mountain characterized the shooting this way: ``A group of four males drove through the parking lot and fired shots from their vehicle at a group.''

Police were searching for three males in a 1995 Ford Taurus with gray primer, Callier said.

Callier said several people were detained and questioned following the shooting, near the Colossus roller coaster, but no suspects were in custody Wednesday night. The motivation for the shooting was unknown, he said.

The shooting was reported at 8:48 p.m., well after the 8 p.m. closing time for Magic Mountain, said Magic Mountain spokeswoman Bonnie Rabjohn. About three-fourths of the parking lot was already empty, she said.

``It was a typical spring break day. It was busy, but not like weekend-busy,'' Rabjohn said.

Neither the suspects nor victims were believed to have been patrons of the park, although they paid to get into the parking lot, she said.

The park debuted its new Riddler's Revenge ride Saturday and featured it as the main attraction for its spring break extravaganza. The park is well-known for its stringent security checks and is often criticized for refusing entry to youths dressed in gang attire.

The park has seen its share of gang violence in the past. On April 16, 1994, a stabbing left a 17-year-old boy in serious condition and injured his 14-year-old friend.

The park will be open regular hours today, Rabjohn said.