A police standoff ended after an armed suspect who barricaded himself inside a Trader Joe’s store in Los Angeles, California, has been taken into custody, police said. One woman was killed inside the store.
The suspect led police on a pursuit before he crashed his car next to the grocery store in the Silver Lake neighborhood and opened fire at officers on July 21. He then barricaded himself inside the store while shoppers ran for cover, Los Angeles police said in a Twitter statement. He was wanted by police in connection with an earlier separate shooting.
Earlier today, authorities declared an active tactical alert after the suspect barricaded himself inside the store. Reinforcements from the SWAT team also responded to the situation.
After a standoff that lasted for about three hours, police said they had “successfully taken the suspect into custody without incident.”
Police were able to locate the suspect’s car and a chase then ensued at which point the suspect fired multiple rounds at pursuing officers.
The pursuit ended after the suspect crashed into a light post outside the Trader Joe’s, according to the newspaper. He then opened fire at authorities before running into the grocery store. The female victim was struck by the gunfire and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police said the suspect held multiple people hostage inside the store. After police negotiations, the suspect surrendered and voluntarily walked out of the store. He then asked that he put handcuffs on himself, and was taken into custody.
An active investigation is currently ongoing.
President Donald Trump said he was watching the “possible hostage situation very closely.”
A family unification location had been set up for victims affected by the shooting at Los Angeles Police Department Northeast Station, 3353 N. San Fernando Road.
Friends Read Free