A suspect believed to have shot two victims Sunday in East Hollywood evaded authorities after SWAT entered an apartment where the person was believed to be holed up and he was gone.
Officers responded to the scene, located in the 1500 block of Serrano Avenue, near Sunset Boulevard, just before 2 p.m., LAPD confirmed to KTLA.
A neighbor, EZ Montana Edwards, said the incident began as a dispute between neighbors, one armed with a knife and another with a gun. The dispute was reportedly over a dog.
“Actually, I was laying down on the couch and I just heard gunshots as if they were in my living room,” she told KTLA’s Omar Lewis. “I got up immediately. I put my clothes on, my shoes on and I ran outside because I know the manager lives over there and I wanted to make sure she was all right.”
On her way, Edwards said she heard someone screaming for help, yelling that they had been shot. When she found the man, he told her that he’d been shot four times. She then helped police locate that man and another male victim.
Medical personnel with the Los Angeles Fire Department also responded to the scene. Both victims were taken to the hospital where they are now listed in critical but stable condition.
Video from the scene posted to the Citizen app showed the two victims, both bleeding after allegedly being shot by the suspect.
Authorities set up a containment perimeter in the area of the apartment building where a suspect was believed to be holed up.
Some four hours after the search for the suspect started, LAPD brought in SWAT in an effort to to take the suspect into custody. However, when SWAT entered the apartment, the suspect was gone. Police did say they recovered the gun believed to have been used in the shooting.
Residents within the police perimeter were asked to evacuate and were not able to return to their homes during the hours-long search and eventual barricade situation.
“Hopefully this is over soon because I want to get back to my house,” neighbor Hector Pena said at the time.
“There’s an ongoing search for the Suspect, multiple city resources are involved in the search,” LAPD said just after 8 p.m. “The area of Sunset and Serrano is being opened to residents that were evacuated, will be open to traffic shortly.”
Authorities described the suspect only as a male adult, but said they will release his name once his identity has been confirmed.
