A man in his late 40s was gunned down in a shopping center parking lot in Hawthorne on Monday night, Aug. 12, but investigators do not believe he was the intended target, authorities said.
The shooting happened shortly before 9:30 p.m. in the 12700 block of Crenshaw Boulevard, near El Segundo Boulevard, as the victim was walking out of a liquor store, said Lt. Steven De Jong of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, who is leading the investigation.
One suspect was in custody and investigators were looking for at least two others, De Jong said.
A group of people were standing outside the South Liquor Bank just before 9:30 p.m. when a car pulled into the parking lot and two men got out, De Jong said. One of the suspects began “shooting indiscriminately” at the group of people. Both got back in the car and the driver took off.
The shooting is believed to be gang-related, but De Jong said the victim, believed to be a Hawthorne resident, was an innocent bystander with no gang ties. He died at the scene.
“There were a lot of people loitering in the parking lot,” De Jong said, adding that the shooting was caught on video. “He went through when he was shot.”
Several shots also hit the building, shattering at least one window, De Jong said. The strip mall also houses a hair salon and a nail salon.
A Hawthorne police officer on patrol near El Segundo and Crenshaw boulevards heard gunshots and saw the vehicle take off, De Jong said. A brief pursuit of the vehicle ended in the 2000 block of Century Boulevard, where the driver, who was not believed to be the shooter, was arrested.
The two other men ran from the vehicle at some point during the chase and authorities set up a perimeter but did not find the suspects, the lieutenant said.
The victim’s identity has not yet been released pending notification of his next of kin.
Anyone with information about the shooting was asked to call homicide detectives at 323-890-5500. Anonymous tips can be left by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
Originally published: