Man fatally shot in Compton after causing disturbance inside beauty supply store, deputies say

An investigation is underway in Compton after a woman shot and killed a man on Sunday afternoon. 

Deputies were called to the 1300 block of E. Alondra Boulevard at around 3:30 p.m. after learning of a shooting inside of a store called Pink Beauty Supply, said a news release from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. 

Upon arrival, they found one person, a 42-year-old man, suffering from a fatal gunshot wound. The victim, who was only described as a man, was declared dead at the scene, the release said. 

Investigators told CBS LA that the woman shot the man because he was causing a disturbance. They say that the woman was a customer at the store and that she remained at the scene to cooperate with their investigation. 

On Monday, LASD Lieutenant DeJong said that the man followed another customer into the store and "groped her once inside." When employees told him to leave, he allegedly refused and began to verbally assault them and some customers before he started throwing objects inside the store. 

The employees told detectives that they noticed an object that they believed was a knife at the same time that he "made threats that he was going to kill everyone in the store," an LASD official said. 

It was then that one of the customers, not the one he allegedly groped, produced a firearm. Detectives said that she fired one warning shot before the man turned towards her. "She feared he was going to attack her," DeJong said. "She fired a second shot hitting him and he went down."

Detectives say that surveillance video from the parking lot of the store indicates that he was loitering in the area and drinking alcohol. 

"He alleged he was a gang member and LASD says it appears he was a gang member, unknown if still active," according to DeJong, who noted that he had a lengthy criminal history including assaults, robberies, thefts and disturbing the peace. 

It's unclear if she will face any charges for the shooting as they continue to investigate witnesses and review security camera footage from inside the store. They have not yet determined if the incident was self-defense. 

When asked for information on prior calls for response to the business, LASD officials said that they would look into their records, but did indicate that crime in the surrounding area was down since the start of the year, when compared to 2025's numbers. 

As their investigation continued, deputies asked anyone with further details to contact their homicide bureau at (323) 890-5500.