Police were seeking the public’s help Tuesday in identifying a shoplifting suspect who shot two security guards outside the Target store at the FIGat7th shopping mall in downtown Los Angeles.
Officers responded to the outdoor mall in the 700 block of South Figueroa Street, near Seventh Street, around 8:55 p.m. Monday to reports of several shots fired, police said.
The two victims were taken to a hospital, with one reportedly in a critical condition, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Store surveillance video showed the suspect attempting to walk out with a suitcase containing unpaid items but when confronted by the security guards, he produced a handgun and fired multiple rounds at the victims.
The suspect rode away from the area on a bicycle, police added. He was last seen leaving the scene toward Eighth Street, the Los Angeles Times reported, citing information from police radio calls.
LAPD investigators described the suspect as a white man with Afro-styled hair in black clothing and a gray backpack.
In a community alert issued later in the day, the suspect was described as between 20 and 25 years old, with brown hair and brown eyes, 5-feet-8-inches tall and weighing about 160 pounds.
He was last seen wearing a black do-rag, black jacket, purple scarf and gray pants, and police believe he might still be armed with a 9mm semi-automatic pistol.
Anyone with information about the suspect or the shooting was asked to contact Detective Alvarez at 213-833-3750.