A man killed a man with a gun then opened fire on police before barricading himself in his home. The Associated Press reported that he holed himself up in his home in Watts, California with three children before he shot himself.
A woman was taken to the hospital after being wounded and she is believed to be his wife. Deputy Chief Robert Green said to KABC-TV that she is in critical condition. The shooting happened starting at approximately 3 a.m. on Friday and started as a domestic dispute.
The AP reported that the shooter killed a man in a truck outside the hose in Watts and then also shot at police but missed. He went into his home and then continued to fire at police from inside. The standoff was two hours long and at one point two young children, an 8-year-old boy and 3-year-old girl came out of the house.
Chief Green said to the AP that the two children said that "mom and dad" were dead inside the house. SWAT officer entered the home at approximately 5 a.m. and found that the shooter was dead after he shot himself. The woman was thought to be dead upon entering the house but was taken to the hospital still alive, but in serious condition. Inside the home was also a 1-year-old child and the police took all three young children into custody. Green said to the AP that the children would be in police custody until they can find relatives of the children.
Watts is a mostly residential area of greater Los Angeles that has a high crime rate. The Los Angeles Times reported in 2012 there had been 94 homicides in Watts since Jan. 1, 2007. This was recorded in the LA Times Homicide Report which The Homicide Report which is an "interactive map and database to track homicides in Los Angeles County and provide a forum for readers to remember victims and to discuss violence in their communities."
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
