Wednesday, January 29, 2014

From the Editor's desk - JAN.29.2014

Stolen Los Santos Bus leads to state spanning spree of violence.  
photos by cy_sperling


| Vinewood, Los Santos | A Los Santos Transit bus hurtles north through Vinewood.


| San Andreas | A Los Santos Transit bus was commandeered by gang members last night and used in a state wide spree of violence. Our Media Lens photographer was able to embed himself with the group of aggressors and document their cross country activities. Initially, our reporter boarded the bus in Downtown Los Santos. As the bus made its way north and into the Vinewood Hills, it would stop periodically and pick up even more fighters.


| Downtown Los Santos | A masked combatant rides on the stolen bus down San Andreas Ave.

As the bus crested the Vinewood Hills and descended into the Grand Senora Desert, a brief conflict erupted among the bus passengers over who would actually do the driving. While this was a violent outburst, it remained an isolated moment within the group who otherwise remained peaceful and cooperative with each other.


| Grand Senora Desert | A brief struggle over the driver's seat.
| Grand Senora Desert | Order was soon restored and the journey continued.

Skirting around the Alamo Sea, the bus eventually arrived in Grapeseed where attempts were made to recruit another bus passenger. This unfortunate fellow was too involved with taking landscape photographs to join in and was met with violent repercussions. After repeated blows of the bus horn, one of the passengers eventually exited the bus and ran the photographer over with his own 4WD vehicle.


| Grapeseed | A nature photographer was struck by his own vehicle.
| Grapeseed | After the altercation, the passengers regrouped at the bus on Union Ave in Grapeseed.

Following this altercation, the bus made a stop at McKenzie Air Field. A Cargobob helicopter was then used to transport the bus and passengers over the Alamo Sea and finally to Sandy Shores where the situation became extremely dangerous. Upon placing the bus in front of a tattoo shop at Zancudo Ave and Armadillo Ave, an aggressive gang began to engage the bus and passengers with small arms fire. The Cargobob and Bus were both quickly destroyed by an RPG and small arms fire. Undeterred, the passengers returned fire but were ultimately scattered across the town. Efforts were made to regroup and flee the fighting, but our reporter remained in Sandy Shores to conclude his report.



| Sandy Shores | The bus is released from the Cargobob at a Zancudo Ave tattoo shop. A rival gang immediately descends on the bus to investigate and, ultimately, attack the buss and passengers.
| Sandy Shores | The burned out shell of the bus sits a few feet from explosive gas tanks after being struck by an RPG.
| Sandy Shores | The Sandy Shores Fire Department extinguishes a fire in the wreckage of a Cargobob helicopter.
| Sandy Shores | Passengers from the bus quickly regrouped and returned fire on the rival gang.
| Sandy Shores | A rival gang member falls in the counterattack.
| Sandy Shores | Local police respond in force to the unfolding violence.
| Sandy Shores | NOOSE officers quickly arrived on scene to reenforce the local police effort to quell the fighting.
| Sandy Shores | A Sandy Shores Officer surveys the scene after the fighting finally subsides.

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Dispatches from the streets JAN.28.2014

| Alta, Los Santos | A volley of small arms fire fells a combatant on Power Street. photo by jackson_smart
| Downtown Los Santos | A tank takes aim at a helicopter on Las Lagunas Blvd. photo by LeathxInsanity
| Burton, Los Santos | A sniper lines up a shot while perched on a billboard. photo by Foodmonger52
| Rockford Hills, Los Santos | High powered weapons, high powered cars. photo by Sparx73
| Morningwood, Los Santos | A masked assailant holds up Rob's Liquor on Prosperity Street. photo by Locke2030
| Grand Senora Desert | A fighter jet destroys a helicopter over the Ron Alternates Wind Farm. photo by Phoenix8994
| La Mesa, Los Santos | An unidentified combatant sums up the situation on the ground in Los Santos. photo by victorbrd

Monday, January 27, 2014

Dispatches from the streets JAN.27.2014

| Burton, Los Santos | Small arms fire is exchanged at close range on Eastbourne Way. photo by Foodmonger52
| Pillbox Hill, Los Santos | A helicopter at the intersection of Elgin Ave and Adam's Apple Blvd. photo by Locke2030
| Hawick, Los Santos | The aftermath of a confrontation with the LSPD at Spanish Ave and Power St. poto by Yugozlav
| Hawick, Los Santos | Human and vehicle carnage on Spanish Ave. photo by cy_sperling
| West Vinewood, Los Santos | A combatant with an RPG takes cover after firing a rocket. photo by  jackson_smart
| Grand Senora Desert, San Andreas | A pilot descends into the desert after bailing out of a helicopter. photo by Zacisgreat9
| Mount Chiliad, San Andreas | Alcohol is one of the many fuels that keep the fire of violence raging. photo by Leeconsig

Sunday, January 26, 2014

From the Editor's desk - JAN.26.2014

| Little Seoul, Los Santos | An armored gunman fires downrange on Lindsay Circus. photo by cy_sperling
| Strawberry, Los Santos | An armed assailant fires a submachine gun at advancing LSPD officers. photo by cy_sperling
| West Vinewood, Los Santos | A pair of combatants consolidate vehicles after one was rendered non-drivable along West Eclipse Blvd in West Vinewood. photo by cy_sperling
| Burtin, Los Santos | A combatant felled by gunfire on Harwick Ave in Burton. photo by cy_sperling
| Vinewood, Los Santos | An armed man wearing a monkey mask advancing east on Spanish Ave. photo by cy_sperling
| Burton, Los Santos | A member of a local militia seated in his dune buggy. photo by cy_sperling
| Hawick, Los Santos | A police helicopter searches for a suspect near Spanish Ave and Alta St. photo by cy_sperling

Dispatches from the streets JAN.26.2014

| Vinewood, Los Santos | A police helicopter searches for a suspect while hovering over the intersection of Meteor St and Strawberry Ave in Vinewood. photo by TheGreatZiegfeld

 Fresh from the Snapmatic feed, here are images captured by the Media Lens photographers. Police stand-offs, tank rampages, and exploding vehicles were a common sight by the populace of Los Santos and the surrounding communities. Our photographers are out in the field, risking life and limb, to photograph the truth.

| Vinewood, Los Santos | A Member of the Los Santos Police SWAT team takes aim at a rogue tank in an alleyway off of Powers St, just south of Clinton Ave in Vinewood. photo by R_Sparks73
| Mirror Park, Los Santos | A police vehicle detonates with a deafening fireball during an altercation in a residential area adjacent to Mirror Park. photo by Phoenix8994
| Vinewood, Los Santos | A helmeted suspect moments before being spotted by advancing members of the LSPD. The suspect was hiding in the lobby of a building on the northeast corner of Vinewood Blvd and Alta St. photo by R_Sparx73
| Grand Senora Desert | A police helicopter explodes over the Boilingbroke Penitentiary. photo by Phoenix8994
| Rancho, Los Santos | A lone police officer advances down Innocence Blvd. photo by jackson_smart


Weekly Shooting Challenge - Women in Combat

photo by SOM1aPERSON

The violence that has erupted across the state has brought with it a vast array of combatants. This is not a war between street gangs, or organized crime families. This conflict rages between all manners of faction, militias, gangs, and lone wolf warriors. One fairly common sight in the streets is that of female combatants. While some might look twice at the sight of woman in a business suit firing automatic weapons at passing cars, they are just as dangerous and unpredictable as their male counterparts. The warfare in Los Santos and the surrounding communities has proven a few old adages to be true, time and time again. "Looks can be deceiving" and "trust no one."

photo by gamefish
photo by gamefish
photo by gamefish

photo by wheelfoot


photo by killerdead77
photo by Xynthantion
photo by Glacroix
photo by sterdecan
photo by sterdecan
photo by cy_sperling
photo by mervschmaed


As our photographers have shown, the women fighting throughout the state, regardless of faction, are heavily armed and merciless. As the fighting continues, we will continue to bring you first hand, close up accounts of life and death in San Andreas.

photo by Xynthantion