Los Angeles Trader Joe's standoff: Woman killed in shootout, injured suspect taken into custody

Christal Hayes | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Gunman takes hostages at Los Angeles Trader Joe's A gunman had a three-hour standoff with police in a Los Angeles Trader Joe's with 40-50 employees and customers inside.

After a series of shootings, a wild police chase and an hours-long hostage situation at a Trader Joe's in the Silverlake neighborhood of Los Angeles, the suspect police say was behind the all-day crime spree was taken into custody peacefully.

Police say one victim, a woman, was killed during a shootout between police and the suspect when he crashed outside the grocery store and ran inside. It's unclear whether she was hit by officers or the suspect.

The whole ordeal started about 1:30 p.m. when the suspect, whose identity hasn't been released by police, shot his grandmother and his girlfriend, police said.

Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore said the suspect, 28, shot his grandmother about seven times, leaving her in grave condition, and hit his girlfriend once, grazing her head.

He then kidnapped his girlfriend, forcibly dragging her into a 2015 Toyota Camry and fleeing the area. Police found him and tried to pull him over. Instead, the suspect started firing rounds at officers, Moore said.

The chase ended outside the Trader Joe's after the suspect crashed into a pole. He exited the car and a shootout broke out between him and police.

A woman in the area was hit. The suspect, who had also been hit in the arm, ran inside, taking dozens of customers and employees hostage at gunpoint.

Moore said police were able to drag the injured woman to safety but she died at the scene. Her name has not been released.

Hostage negotiators kept in constant communication and were able to build a "good rapport" with the suspect while he made a "series of demands," Moore said. The suspect ended up letting some hostages go while authorities rescued others.

Helicopter footage showed the tense moments as police rescued hostages from windows and other exits. Officers in SWAT gear ran while carrying children away from the store.

Throughout the ordeal, officers with riot gear, armed with rifles, stood along the side of the Trader Joe's and used mirrors to try to look inside as hostages periodically came out the front door with the hands raised.

After three hours, negotiators were able to persuade the suspect to come out peacefully, Moore said. He walked out handcuffed alongside four hostages who had their hands up.

The ordeal disrupted the normally quiet neighborhood and many posted on Twitter about what they saw. Devin Field, a writer for "Jimmy Kimmel Live," tweeted he was walking inside the store when a car crashed into the entrance and a man "got out shooting."

I was walking in when a car crashed running from the police crashed into street lamp in front of the entrance. Gunman got out and started shooting at the cops. I hid behind a retaining wall with three cops until they had me crawl out — Devin Field (@thatdevinfield) July 21, 2018

Don Kohles, 91, was walking into the supermarket when he saw a car being chased by police crash into a pole just outside. Police fired at the driver, shattering the store's glass doors and Kohles and others inside took cover and laid on the floor as the suspect ran into the store, he said.

He could hear others around him sobbing as the man ran toward the back of the store and yelled at people, but Kohles said he never heard any more gunshots. After about 30 minutes, police came inside and rushed some of the customers out, he said.

People frantically tried to flee from the store and some were seen climbing through windows, jumping down about 8 feet, and others darted through the back door.

Christian Dunlop, a real estate agent and actor who lives nearby, said he was watching from the corner when he saw four people flee out the front of the store. An employee was dragging an injured woman by the hands out the front door, he said.

One woman who was injured was taken to the hospital in stable condition, according to David Ortiz, a fire department spokesman, though it was unclear how she was injured. Officials said they had 18 ambulances and 100 firefighters staged at the scene.

Watching Los Angeles possible hostage situation very closely. Active barricaded suspect. L.A.P.D. working with Federal Law Enforcement. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 22, 2018

Photos posted on social media showed people trying to exit the supermarket through a window and video from television news helicopters showed others leaving through the front door with their hands up.

President Donald Trump tweeted that he is "Watching Los Angeles possible hostage situation very closely" and that Los Angeles police officers were working with federal law enforcement.

Contributing: The Associated Press