Three people were injured Monday after a gunman opened fire at a senior assisted living facility in South Los Angeles, prompting a major police response and the detention of a facility employee.
The shooting was reported shortly before 11 a.m. at a property in the 7000 block of Denver Avenue. The location is near Florence Avenue in the Vermont-Slauson area, several blocks east of South Figueroa Street.
Los Angeles Police Department officers responded at approximately 10:50 a.m. after receiving reports of gunfire at the facility. Emergency radio traffic indicated that authorities requested at least three ambulances while officers moved to secure the property.
Three people were struck by gunfire during the attack. Authorities did not immediately release their names, ages or medical conditions.
Dorothy Mobley, a caregiver who was inside the facility when the violence erupted, told KTLA that she had only recently entered the building when she encountered a custodian standing near the front desk.
According to Mobley, the worker said, “I’m tired of this,” before pulling out a firearm and opening fire.
Mobley said she immediately fled the building after the shooting began.
“I was surprised, I never would have expected that,” she told the outlet.
Mobley described the suspected gunman as someone who had not previously caused problems at the facility.
“He’s a nice guy, he don’t bother nobody or anything. He’s a good guy,” she said.
The caregiver also said that all three people struck by the gunfire were employees of the facility. Police had not publicly confirmed their identities or explained whether the suspected shooter had a known relationship with any of them beyond their workplace connections.
A suspect was detained by responding officers following the shooting. KTLA reported that the individual taken into custody was an employee of the senior living facility.
Police did not immediately identify the suspect or provide his age. No criminal charges had been publicly announced Monday afternoon.
Authorities also had not disclosed what may have caused the worker to open fire. The motive remained under investigation as detectives interviewed witnesses and gathered information from inside the facility.
Initial accounts described the violence as a shooting inside the building. Separate reports indicated that officers were also investigating whether any gunfire may have come from an elevated area or rooftop, though police had not provided a complete account of the incident.
Video captured above the neighborhood showed a heavy law enforcement presence surrounding the property. Patrol vehicles filled the street as officers restricted access to the immediate area.
Authorities did not announce a search for any additional suspects after one person was detained. No injuries involving responding officers were reported in the preliminary accounts.
The shooting unfolded during the late-morning hours in a densely populated section of South Los Angeles. Officials did not immediately say how many residents or employees were inside the facility when the violence began or whether anyone was evacuated.
The name of the senior living facility was not included in the first public reports. Its operators had not released a statement addressing the shooting by Monday afternoon.
Several questions remained unanswered, including what type of firearm was used, how many shots were fired and what events preceded the attack.
The investigation remained active Monday as authorities worked to determine what led to the shooting.
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[ H/T Trending Politics ]
