Paul Walker tribute draws thousands to fatal crash site

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. – The sounds of high-performance car engines filled the air Sunday as thousands of fans, friends and car enthusiasts headed to the Los Angeles suburb of Santa Clarita to pay tribute to Paul Walker at the site where the “Fast & Furious” actor died in a car crash.

The memorial, planned through social media, was scheduled to begin at noon, but mourners began arriving hours early to leave flowers and other tributes.

By afternoon, about 5,000 people dropped by, Los Angeles County sheriff’s Capt. Mike Parker said, adding that the gathering was mostly peaceful. A man was arrested after deputies spotted him carrying a partially hidden and loaded gun; and 40 citations were issued for illegal parking, Parker said.

Many arrived in cars built for speed, and the sounds of engines revving echoed close to where Walker, 40, and his friend and financial adviser, Roger Rodas, who was driving, died on Nov. 30. Authorities say speed was a factor in the crash.