A tragic shooting involving “several suspects producing firearms” and opening fire outside a Trader Joe’s in southern California may have been sparked by a “gang-related” quarrel over a narcotics trade in the parking lot. There was one fatality and three injuries, with police now stating that one of the injured, a guy who fled the scene, and a female getaway driver have all been apprehended.
At about 3:45 p.m. on Saturday, police responded to reports of gunfire at Fallbrook Avenue and Bowen Street, and a video posted to Citizen shows a large number of officers and emergency personnel gathered in the parking lot. The deceased was a man in his mid-forties.
A woman in her 35s, a male in his 35s, and a man in his 45s were the additional casualties. The LAPD claims that “several suspects produced firearms and fired at each other” in the parking lot during the altercation.
“We believe that all of the folks involved in this dispute have been identified and we feel that we have them in custody or that we have them where we can provide them with medical attention,” stated LAPD Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton.
According to Hamilton, one of the shooters fled the scene in a vehicle, and an LAPD aircraft was able to help locate him by spotting bullet holes in the car’s windows. Hamilton added, “That suspect was involved in a hit-and-run collision in which he injured another person and then continued fleeing the area.”
“After that, he switched cars in plain view of the air units.” Previous reports stated that the man abandoned his vehicle,’ a red Corolla being driven by a woman, and then “swapped into a Toyota Corolla being driven by a woman.” After a brief chase, the suspects turned themselves into police near the intersection of Owensmouth Avenue and Saticoy Street.
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According to Hamilton, a female motorist and the suspect were both detained. The hit-and-run victim’s injuries were not considered to be life-threatening, and they were treated accordingly. Nevertheless, authorities have not disclosed the location from which the two guns were discovered. According to Hamilton, police are considering a gang connection to the incident.
The overhead film shows a man lying on the side of the road next to the automobile, and a lady exiting the vehicle with her arms raised before both are brought into custody by the police. Other businesses, including Trader Joe’s, Chili’s, and Bob’s Discount Furniture, were also cordoned off.
Twitter user CaliforniaNewsWatch posted footage from the scene, showing first responders administering CPR and treating a victim for a gunshot wound to the chest. Adam Strickland, who walked out of the theater onto the crime scene, told KTLA that he had no idea what he was walking into.
Location of the Trader Joe's is in West Hills. I've provided information for the streets.#WestHills – #CA
— CaliforniaNewsWatch (@CANews_Watch) April 1, 2023
“I heard a few pops and it didn’t even occur to me that they were gunshots until I saw people fleeing down the parking lot,” Strickland added. I turned around and saw a couple of people freaking out as the man who had been shot slowly collapsed to the ground. Someone entered and began applying pressure to the injured man’s wound.
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