The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) in the United States said on Saturday that they had arrested a suspect after a tense standoff in a Trader Joe's grocery store in the Silver Lake area.
A man who was fleeing from officers crashed his vehicle, a 2015 Toyota Camry, outside of the supermarket and ran inside it, according to US media.
The suspect was being pursued after reportedly shooting his grandmother and girlfriend in south Los Angeles. Police urged the public to stay away from the area as they confirmed via Twitter there was an "active barricaded suspect" in the store, that he was armed, and a police operation was underway.
They later added that a special SWAT team had been deployed to the scene.
A fire department spokeswoman told the press that at least one patient had been brought to a local hospital from the scene in stable condition, but that she had been in a vehicle and not inside the Trader Joe's.
I’ve seen six emergency service vehicles move out from the area in the past five minutes. #SilverLake #TraderJoes pic.twitter.com/IO13kecIzJ
— James LaPorta (@JimLaPorta) July 22, 2018
Footage from the scene showed people escaping out a store window and door. Later, a man was seen being led away from the store in handcuffs.
A young hostage is released from the Trader Joe's shooting/barricade in Silver Lake. Live Updates on NBC4 News Now: https://t.co/pMgERwjqyD pic.twitter.com/rbyQn5tJ4j
— NBC Los Angeles (@NBCLA) July 22, 2018
Gunman 'takes hostages and opens fire' inside a Trader Joe's in Los Angeles after he was chased by cops for 'shooting his girlfriend and grandmother'. pic.twitter.com/XS1C6O91u7
— WHAT IN THE WORLD (@lessbusymindz) July 22, 2018
Gunman 'takes hostages and opens fire' inside a Trader Joe's in Los Angeles after he was chased by cops for 'shooting his girlfriend and grandmother'. pic.twitter.com/XS1C6O91u7
— WHAT IN THE WORLD (@lessbusymindz) July 22, 2018
In a statement after the entire incident played out, the LAPD said, “At 1:30 pm, a shooting occurred in Newton Division, the suspect then fled the scene. The suspect was located via LoJack and a pursuit ensued at which point the suspect fired multiple rounds at pursuing officers. The suspect then crashed his vehicle at which point an officer involved shooting occurred. At the termination of the pursuit, the suspect fled into the Trader Joe’s. Inside the Trader Joe’s, a female victim was struck by gunfire. She was pronounced dead at the scene.”
“He then proceeded to hold multiple victims hostage within the location. Through the hard work of multiple LAPD entities, the suspect walked out of the location, and asked that he put handcuffs on himself and was taken into custody. This remains an active investigation and the area will remain closed as our investigation continues,” the statement added.
This remains an active investigation, and the area will remain closed as our investigation continues.
— LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) July 22, 2018