Police are searching for a gunman after an armed security guard and store employee who were trying to stop a shoplifter were shot near a Target in a downtown Los Angeles shopping mall, according to authorities.
Officers were called to the 700 block of S. Figueroa Street for a report of a shooting just before 9 p.m. Two people were found with gunshot wounds at the FIGat7th shopping mall, where police said the security guard and Target employee tried to stop a shoplifter.
The man seen on store security camera video walked out of the store with unpaid merchandise in a suitcase and was confronted by the guard and employee, police said. The man armed with a handgun opened fire, sending shoppers running for cover.
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One of the victims, a 33-year-old armed security officer employed by the mall, returned fire, police said. It was not immediately clear whether the gunman was struck.
The other victim was a 45-year-old Target loss-prevention employee, LAPD Capt. Raul Jovel said.
The armed guard was treated and released from a hospital. The Target employee remained in critical condition Tuesday afternoon.
Witnesses scrambled for safety in what they described as a frightening scene. Some walls of the shopping center were struck by gunfire, police said.
Lucas Williams, who was in the area at the time, said he was walking out a business door when he heard shots.
"By the time I got to the staircase, you just hear two shots go off," Williams said. "Everybody was kind of, you think it’s a firework; you don’t assume the worst immediately. Then, there’s like six more shots pretty quickly. Nobody really looked back because you could kind of hear bullets whisking by us. We just started running up the stairs. The main thing I remember is there was a little girl next to me and just seeing her family picking her and running off."
In a community alert issued Tuesday morning, the LAPD released a photo of a person sought in connection with the shooting. He was identified as a 5 foot 8, 160-pound man age 20 to 25 wearing a black jacket, purple scarf and gray pants. The man should be considered armed and dangerous, the LAPD said.
— LAPD Central Division (@LAPDCentral) December 31, 2024
Anyone with information about the suspect or the shooting was asked to contact 213-833-3750.
Target issued a statement late Tuesday: "We are saddened by this horrible act of violence and our thoughts are with those who were injured, their friends and families. We appreciate the quick assistance of first responders and the Los Angeles Police Department. We are actively assisting with their investigation and will refer all additional questions to law enforcement. Our store is currently closed as we focus on supporting our team."
A 9-year-old boy and a 24-year-old woman were stabbed at the store on Nov. 15, 2022, by a 40-year-old homeless man, who was shot and killed by a security guard employed by Target.
