2 Fatally Shot, 12-Year-Old Boy Wounded In Hawthorne Officer-Involved Shooting
HAWTHORNE (CBSLA.com) — A woman in fear for her life was shot to death in front of a police officer, who fired back, killing the shooter, authorities said Wednesday.
Authorities were sent at 12:42 p.m. to the area of Kornblum Avenue and West Rosecrans Avenue to investigate the shooting, according to Lt. Amy Yoshita.
According to a preliminary investigation, a Hawthorne police officer was on patrol when a woman driving a car pulled up and said she was being followed. The officer told the driver to pull up in front of him and he would investigate, sheriff's officials said.
Investigators say a white Cadillac then pulled up next to the officer and the woman.
"The right front passenger of the suspect vehicle got out and began firing at the driver and passenger in front of the police officer. The police officer immediately got out. And an officer-involved shooting occurred," Los Angeles County sheriff's Lt. Dave Coleman said.
A passenger in the front seat of the shooter's car was killed, and the male driver and a man in the rear seat were arrested.
A 12-year-old boy was in the victim's car.
"The child ran to a different location, and being treated now at a local hospital for gun shot wounds," Coleman said.
Both the shooter and the female victim were declared dead at the scene.
Authorities told KCAL9's Juan Fernandez the deceased and wounded boy were mother and son.
Officials told him they were still trying to determine the motive and the relationship between the shooter and the deceased woman.
Fernandez reported the boy is in stable condition.
Relatives of the alleged shooter showed up at the crime scene. They told Fernandez the man was a 37-year-old Rialto resident.
"This is pretty hard for us," said Elaine Washington, "cause we had just seen him today. I'd just seen him about 12 o'clock today. He's a good kid, he's a good kid."
