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Officers fatally shoot armed California woman who was holding another woman hostage

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Authorities say police shot and reportedly killed an armed woman who held another woman hostage in an apartment high-rise near a Los Angeles homeless encampment [US News].

It wasn’t clear Thursday what led up to the shooting. The incident prompted a SWAT response and the closure of nearby freeway off-ramps during a search of the homeless encampment around Arcadia and Spring streets, the news station said. The hostage and the officers were unhurt, police said.

Officer Tony Im, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Police Department, confirmed that an officer shot the suspect, who was taken to a hospital in unknown condition. The hostage is alive, but their condition was not available, Im said. The suspect was armed with a gun, the spokesman said. No officers were hurt during the incident.

Authorities were initially called to a report of a possible shooting at 4:10 p.m. in the 500 block of South Main Street, Im said. By 5:40 p.m., the suspect had barricaded themselves and SWAT officers responded to the scene, the spokesman said [ABC7].

Videos taken by bystanders appear to show the Santa Fe Lofts on East 6th Street as the location of the hours-long standoff. One video appears to show the suspect holding a gun to the hostage’s head before dragging the hostage to a different area of the room and walking away. A few seconds pass, and the suspect walks back into the room before a loud explosion rocks the building. The suspect runs. There are more loud booms.

Eventually the suspect grabs the hostage again and moves toward a dark area of the room. There’s another loud boom. Officers wearing tactical gear can be seen swarming the suspect before several gunshots are fired and the video ends. Further information about the shooting was not immediately available [LA Times].

MANAGING EDITOR: CARSON CHOATE

PHOTO CREDITS: ABC7

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