Why isn't gun regulation increased in the US?
1:13
(CNN) -
A 14-year-old girl who was in the dressing room of a California department store with her mother died Thursday when a police officer fired at the suspect in an attack, authorities said.
One of the shots penetrated a wall and entered the locker room where the girl died, Los Angeles Police Department Deputy Director Dominic Choi told reporters during a news conference.
How America's gun culture compares to the rest of the world
"On a preliminary basis, we believe that that bullet was an officer's bullet," Choi said.
"This chaotic incident that resulted in the death of an innocent minor is tragic and devastating for everyone involved," Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore said in a statement issued Thursday night.
"I have ordered the release of the critical incident videos before Monday, December 27, which will include 911 calls, radio transmissions, body videos, and any video surveillance footage and other evidence gathered at this preliminary stage," the chief said.
saying.
A woman wipes her eye as police investigate the scene at a Burlington store in North Hollywood, California.
According to the schedule provided by Los Angeles police, North Hollywood officers responded to a radio call at 11:45 a.m. local time for an ongoing assault with a deadly weapon at a business.
Along the way, they received multiple calls that there was a "possible shooting in progress" and that people were sheltering at the scene, police said.
advertising
Upon arrival, they found a woman who was bleeding and suffering several injuries.
They found the suspect a short distance away and "a shooting occurred involving an officer," the statement said.
During a subsequent search of the area, officers discovered a hole in the wall behind the suspect, which turned out to lead to a locker room where the deceased teenager was, police said.
A 14-year-old girl dies after being shot by her 13-year-old brother, who was making and selling homemade guns
The investigation is ongoing, Choi said, and authorities have yet to interview officers and witnesses.
Investigators do not yet know the motive for the suspect or what type of weapon was in the man's possession, although a metal or steel cable lock was found nearby and investigators believe it was involved, he said.
However, no firearms have been recovered from the scene, Choi said.
Police do not believe there is any relationship between the teenage victim and the other two parties involved in the incident, and they do not know what connection, if any, there was between the suspect and the victim of the assault.
The victim of the assault was taken to a local hospital with head and arm injuries, police said.
Weapons in the USA
