Los Angeles Trader Joe’s parking lot shooting

At least one person was killed and three others were injured Saturday when a drug deal gone bad led to a shooting in the parking lot of a Trader Joe’s in the West Hills section of Los Angeles. The shooting took place at approximately 3:45 p.m. in the Trader Joe’s parking lot located in the 22800 block of Vanowen Street near Fallbrook Avenue. One person was pronounced dead at the scene, while three others were transported to hospital with gunshot wounds, police said.

“Our preliminary investigation has revealed that the dispute centered on a narcotics transaction in the area,” Los Angeles Police Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton said at a news conference, according to FOX 11 Los Angeles. “During that dispute, several suspects drew firearms and shot each other.”

Los Angeles Trader Joe’s parking lot shooting incident detail

“After the incident here, where the shooting occurred, one of the suspects fled from this location,” Hamilton told reporters, explaining how police helicopters observed the suspect fleeing the scene in a vehicle with broken windows and they directed the ground units in that direction. . “That suspect was involved in a hit-and-run traffic crash, where he injured another person and continued to flee the area,” he said.

The air unit noted that the suspect later changed to a different vehicle. Around that time, Hamilton said one of the shooting victims was pronounced dead at the scene, for which the suspect was wanted for murder. Ground units caught up with the suspect, initiating a brief pursuit. The deceased victim was a 45-year-old man, Fox 11 reported, citing firefighters.

The vehicle stopped near Canoga Boulevard and Saticoy Street in Canoga Park, and its driver and the male suspect who fled the scene of the shooting were taken into custody. “We believe that everyone who was involved in the dispute here is either in custody or at the hospital,” Hamilton said, according to the Los Angeles Times.

At the time of the press conference, three people were in custody and two remained in the hospital, although there was a possibility that the people being treated at the hospital could be detained later as the investigation progressed, the deputy chief added. . Police said two firearms were recovered and the incident is being investigated as possibly gang related.Read More…..