The Trader Joe’s Hostage Situation: What We Know So Far


A double murder suspect barricaded himself inside a Trader’s Joe location in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles on Saturday afternoon. Approximately 20-30 people were reported to still be inside the building with the gunman, according to witnesses on the scene who shared information on Twitter.

According to updated reporting by CNN, a shooting occurred in the 1600 block of 32nd Street around 1:30 p.m. Pacific in which an elderly woman and a young woman, reportedly the grandmother and girlfriend of the suspect, were victims.

A 9 News report stated that Sgt. Barry Montgomery said that the gunman fled the scene in his grandmother’s car, accompanied by an unidentified female.

KAGS-TV reports that Officer Mike Lopez, a Los Angeles police spokesman, stated that officers spotted the suspect’s car near Hollywood and tried to pull him over. The man refused to stop, and a police chase ensued.

During the pursuit, the suspect fired on the officers, none of whom were injured. The chase ended when the suspect crashed his vehicle and took off on foot, entering the Trader Joe’s location on Hyperion in Silver Lake. A 20-year-old injured woman was retrieved from the vehicle and transported to a local hospital.

K5 News reported that a 91-year-old man walking into the supermarket saw the suspect crash his vehicle into a pole in front of the store. Don Kohls says officers fired their weapons, and the store’s glass doors shattered. He and other people lay on the floor and covered their heads as the suspect ran into the store. After approximately 30 minutes had passed, according to Kohls, police came into the front of the store and rushed some customers to safety.

According to the Orlando Sentinel, Montgomery said that the situation was “still unfolding” and confirmed that officers were “communicating with the suspect, trying to get the suspect to surrender and bring this to a peaceful conclusion.”

Devin Field, a Jimmy Kimmel Live writer, was on the scene and live tweeting as events unfolded. His Twitter feed detailed his escape from the store.

https://twitter.com/thatdevinfield/status/1020805905237958657

LA Mayor Eric Garcetti issued a plea for people to stay clear of the area as police handled the situation. There are reportedly also 18 ambulances and 100 firefighters staged at the scene.

The mayor also referred to those who are seeking family members or other loved ones to a family reunification center.

One employee helped co-workers make it out safely, according to Twitter posts about the event.

The suspect is in custody and one fatality occurred on scene. The latest on this story has been reported on in a updated piece by Inquisitr.

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