Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Chief Michel Moore announced at a press conference this morning that the bullet that killed Silver Lake Trader Joe’s Assistant Store Manager Melyda Corado Saturday, was from LAPD gunfire.
“I am truly sorry,” Moore said early today. “It is unimaginable the pain of the Corado family. We share the pain today.”
He explained that Corado was exiting the store as suspect Gene Evin Atkins was entering the store when she was hit by LAPD gunfire.
The widely-covered incident began when the suspect allegedly shot his grandmother and kidnapped his 17-year-old (ex-)girlfriend. He fled in a car while firing shots out the back window toward pursuing officers, police said.
Moore said that LAPD officers did not fire at the gunman during the chase. Atkins crashed the car that he was driving and continued firing toward police, officers returned fire, according to Moore.
Atkins then ran into Silver Lake Trader Joe’s, where a three-hour standoff followed, closing down the area.
