The Los Angeles Police Department has reported that a lone gunman killed a woman and took dozens of others hostage during a standoff in Los Angeles on Saturday.
The woman was shot and killed when the gunman ran into a busy Los Angeles supermarket and held dozens of people hostage in a standoff with the police that lasted for about three hours on Saturday before handcuffing himself and surrendering to police.
Police reported that the man had shot his grandmother seven times and wounded another woman, who he forced into a car about two hours before taking the hostages in the supermarket.
In what looked like an adrenaline packed action scene from a Hollywood movie, the LAPD had given chase to the man’s vehicle while exchanging gunfire. The man then crashed into a pole outside the supermarket (Trader Joe’s) and ran inside.
Frightened customers and workers scampered for safety as the supermarket glass shattered from police bullets being shot at the man. While some scrambled out of windows, others barricaded themselves in rooms while Police, firefighters and 18 ambulances converged on the scene and prepared for mass casualties.
Heavily armed officers in riot gear had stood along the side of the store and used mirrors to look inside as hostage negotiators tried to sweet-talk the man into freeing his 40 to 50 hostages and surrendering himself.
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After three hours of back and forth between both parties, the gun man eventually agreed to handcuff himself and walked out the front door, surrounded by four of the hostages. The man who seemed to have an injured arm was immediately taken into custody by the police
The Mayor of Los Angeles Eric Garcetti congratulated police and firefighters for their work while mourned the loss of life at the Supermarket where he and his wife regularly shopped when they lived in the neighborhood.
“The heroism that was shown today was second to none and the teams that were able to respond, secure the perimeter and engage in conversation with the suspect no doubt saved lives today, our hearts go out to everyone who has been traumatized.”
Several eyewitnesses like 91-year-old Don Kohles who lives in the neighbourhood reported seeing “two police cars coming like a bat out of hell” as the suspect crashed into the pole while he (Kohles) was walking towards the supermarket; he had to hurry and take cover inside as Police ran after the gun man.
“Those bullets went right over the back of me as he was running right down the main aisle,” Kohles said as he lay sobbing on the floor
Another eyewitness, Christian Dunlop, a real estate agent and actor who lives nearby and frequents the Supermarket, disclosed that he was on a corner near the store when he saw four people run out. One person, an employee, was dragging an injured woman who appeared lifeless by the hands.
Police Chief Michael Moore also disclosed that the suspect made a “series of demands” during the standoff but crisis negotiators believed they could convince him to surrender peacefully.
“Our hostage negotiators believed they had established a good rapport with him,”
Police aren’t sure what led to the initial violence that led to the car chase and eventual standoff. They however revealed that the suspect shot his grandmother and another woman in a South Los Angeles home and then forced the other woman into his grandmother’s car.
Police were then able to track the vehicle and tried to stop the gun man in Hollywood, but the man refused to pull over. He started shooting at police out of the back window of the vehicle.
The man continued to exchange gunfire with Police again at the supermarket where the woman was shot and killed although it has not been determined if she was shot by the gun man or police during the shoot-out.