LAPD detectives were struggling with conflicting accounts and an undetermined motive in the killing of four people over the weekend at a Valley Village restaurant.

Law enforcement sources told The Times that detectives are skeptical about some of the accounts given by witnesses at the restaurant and are still not sure whether there was one or two gunmen.

Detectives aren't sure how many people were at the restaurant at the time because some customers apparently fled before police arrived. The sources, who spoke to The Times on the condition that they not be named because it was an ongoing investigation, said they believed the shooting was tied to Armenian or Eurosian organized crime but are unsure of the motive.

Investigators are hoping that shell casings recovered from the walls of the Hot Spot Cafe will provide a clearer account of exactly what happened Saturday afternoon.

LAPD Capt. Kevin McClure said the large number of gunshots fired during the attack suggest more than one gunman, but detectives aren't sure. "We are looking for anyone who knows about this shooting to come forward," he said. A security video from the restaurant, McClure said, "did not provide the identity of the suspect or suspects because it didn't show the inside."

A spotty description of what happened at the Middle Eastern eatery emerged Monday. One or two gunmen entered the business about 4 p.m. and approached a table where at least six men were dining, opening fire. Three of the diners were killed almost instantly and another died at a hospital.

The dead men were identified as Hayk Yegnanyan, 25; Sarkis Karadjian, 26; Harut Baburyan, 28; and Vardan Tofalyan, 31.