An employee at an auto parts store in North Hollywood shot and killed a man he believed was robbing the business on Saturday, March 3, police said.

The shooting victim, who has not been identified, was pronounced dead at the scene. Sgt. Glenn McNeil of the Los Angeles Police Department’s North Hollywood division only described the victim as a man in his late 20s.

The suspect was detained and questioned by LAPD homicide detectives but was not arrested. McNeil also described him as in his late 20s.

McNeil said police got the call about a shooting at around 5:45 p.m. at the store in the 6100 block of Lankershim Blvd. He described the business as a “vehicle instrument company” that repairs cars.

McNeil said the owner of the store noticed someone in the building’s back lot where vehicles were parked on a security camera. Suspecting the person was trying to steal something, the owner sent one of the store employees to the back.

The employee, armed with a handgun, encountered the man in the back parking lot. The employee later told police the man became aggressive — the man approached him, trying to force him back into the business.

That’s when the employee fired his handgun, striking the man and killing him, police said. McNeil did not say how many shots were fired, but multiple news reports indicated he fired several shots.

McNeil did not say whether there were any words exchanged between the men. He said the security camera footage of the shooting backed up the employee’s version of events. He also said there were no weapons found on the dead man.

“There was good video of the incident,” McNeil said. “It was determined that (the employee) was protecting his life.”

McNeil said there have been problems with crime in the area of Lankershim Blvd. where the shooting occurred, which might explain why the employee thought it was necessary to arm himself.

“That Lankershim corridor is a problem,” McNeil said. “There have been all kinds of crimes.”