A chaotic sequence of events unfolded in L.A.’s Harvard Heights neighborhood on Saturday night, when a suspect – who was said to be assaulting a woman – opened fire on three people who stopped to intervene and the victim he was assaulting, killing the latter.
According to information confirmed by the Los Angeles Police Department, witnesses saw an unidentified man beating a woman outside an apartment complex on South St. Andrews Place near Pico Boulevard around 10:30 p.m.
“The woman was screaming for help,” an LAPD spokesperson told KTLA early Sunday morning. “A vehicle passing by with a husband, wife and son saw what was happening and the father attempted to stop the man assaulting the woman.”
It was at this point that the suspect pulled out a gun and opened fire, shooting both the vehicle the three people were in and the woman he had been assaulting, the spokesperson elaborated. Both the female victim and the man who tried to help were struck.
Both were transported to a nearby hospital after the shooting after first responders performed CPR at the scene, according to video footage obtained by KTLA. The man was said to be in stable condition with at least one gunshot wound, but the woman was pronounced dead upon arrival, according to authorities.
She was only identified as an Asian woman; her name and age were not disclosed right away.
It was not immediately clear whether the other two people inside the white SUV that was shot at were injured, but a bullet hole was seen in the side of the vehicle.
The suspect, meanwhile, was initially thought to have fled the scene and was said to be outstanding, but police told KTLA shortly before 7 a.m. that he had killed himself on the same street that the incident occurred on.
His identity was not immediately released.
If you or someone you know is experiencing mental distress or suicidal thoughts, you can contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by phone call or text. You can also visit 988lifeline.org.
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