California security guard kills man during store robbery
Hawthorne CA Jan 24 2020
Police investigating a shooting death of a robbery suspect by a security guard now say that the store, a cell phone business, may actually be a front for an illegal marijuana dispensary.
Hawthorne police were called to the 14100 block of Crenshaw Boulevard, near Rosecrans Avenue, about 8:30 p.m. on reports of shots fired, police said.
Officers arrived and found several people had been shot at the store, which may have been a front for an illegal marijuana dispensary, police said.
Police learned armed suspects had entered the store and were confronted by a security guard who also was armed.
A shootout ensued and two of the suspects were hit by gunfire, police said.
Both suspects were taken to a local hospital with multiple gunshot wounds, but one of them died, police said. The other’s wounds were considered non-life threatening.
The security guard was also hit in the chest but was wearing a ballistic vest and was expected to make a full recovery.
The remaining suspects fled before the officers arrived, police said.
Identifying information about the two suspects who were shot was not immediately available and it wasn’t known how many additional robbery suspects were being sought by police.
Police are also continuing to investigate the business operations of the store.
