One person was killed and three others wounded in a shooting in the parking lot of a Trader Joe’s grocery store in Los Angeles on Saturday afternoon during what may have been a drug deal, authorities said. Several suspects are in custody.
The shooting occurred at about 3:45 p.m. local time in the West Hills neighborhood of the San Fernando Valley, according to the LAPD.
“Our preliminary investigation has revealed that the dispute centered around a narcotics transaction in the area,” LAPD Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton said in a news conference Saturday evening, according to CBS Los Angeles. “During that dispute, multiple suspects produced firearms and fired at each other.”
One person was pronounced dead the scene, Hamilton said. The victim’s name was not immediately released.
Two firearms were also recovered from the scene of the shooting, Hamilton disclosed.
Following the shooting, one of the suspects tried to flee in a vehicle, prompting a police pursuit. During that pursuit, the suspect was involved in a hit-and-run with another vehicle in which an innocent person was hurt, Hamilton said. The suspect then switched vehicles and the pursuit continued.
That second vehicle was eventually pulled over, and two people — the male suspect and a female driver — were taken into custody, Hamilton said.
The injuries of the hit-and-run victim were not believed to be life-threatening, Hamilton said.
As of Saturday night, two people remained hospitalized, and three others were in police custody. There are not believed to be any outstanding suspects, Hamilton said. The cause and circumstances of the shooting are under investigation.
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