A late-night encounter at a South Gate business resulted in the fatal shooting of an armed individual by an employee, reported KTLA. The incident occurred shortly after 11 p.m. on June 24, when officers responded to a 911 call about a robbery at a location listed as Savage Mobile on the 5800 block of Imperial Highway. Upon their arrival, the South Gate Police and Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department found a male suspected robber with gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Fox LA adds that the business, despite its listing as a mobile store, appears to be operating as a marijuana dispensary, a detail also confirmed by a spokesperson for the LASD. The employee, who was armed at the time, reportedly shot the suspected robber following an alleged attempted robbery. The unnamed employee is cooperating with the investigation and, at the moment, is not in custody, according to officials.
In another account of the events, CBS LA reported that two firearms were recovered from the scene. Police are interviewing the employee, who claimed that the deceased, armed with a gun, tried to rob the business, prompting him to shoot. The investigation is ongoing, and the authorities urge potential witnesses who were in the parking lot at the time to come forward with any information they may have.
The identity of the deceased individual has not yet been released, pending next of kin notification. The legitimacy of the business's operation as a dispensary, the legality of the firearms used, and the recovery of any surveillance footage remain under investigation. As detailed in the original press release from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, homicide detectives are encouraging anyone with information to contact the Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500 or to provide information anonymously through Crime Stoppers.
