Man killed in shooting at Grand Central Market; Suspect still at large
One person was fatally shot at the Grand Central Market Saturday afternoon.
Authorities were dispatched to the scene at the well-known food market just before 4 p.m. after reports of a shooting.
One person was struck by gunfire before they were rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
The victim's identity was withheld pending notification of next of kin.
No information was available on a suspect, other than that they had already fled from the scene and were described as a White male.
On Sunday, authorities provided further information on the moments leading up to the shooting, detailing that the victim and suspect, both men in their 20s or 30s, became involved in an altercation out front of the venue.
When the victim pulled a knife out of his pocket, the suspect pulled a gun and fired several shots.
Cell phone footage from the scene showed patrons running in all directions after the sound of the shots fired echoed through the market.
"People were leaving their drinks and food, it was chaos," said one man who joined the throngs of people fleeing from the area.
"It's quite scary that you can't just go along and walk the streets and feel safe," said Louise Arnott, a woman visiting the area from Australia.
Officers disclosed that the shooting did not occur inside the market, but just outside of the doors.
Once the crowds got outside, they found the victim lying in the street, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
Josh Pacheco, another witness, detailed the moments where several Good Samaritans attempted to assist the man.
"He's alive, we need to help him. So, I run into the business and I'm screaming, 'Where are there rags, alcohol, anything? This person needs help,'" Pacheco continued.
As the investigation continued, LAPD officers had set up a perimeter in the area and were searching for a possible motive in the incident.
A K-9 unit was on scene to search the parking garage attached to Grand Central Market, where authorities believe the suspect was last seen.
Following the shooting, Grand Central Market released a statement via Facebook, which read:
"This afternoon an isolated incident between two people occurred outside of Grand Central Market on neighboring Hill Street.
Our Market tenants and guests are all safe. While the incident did not take place within Grand Central Market, we will be tightening security and proactively working with proper authorities to further assess the situation.
Grand Central Market prides itself as a safe haven for Los Angeles' global cuisines and cultures; We are devastated to have something occur so close to our door."
Congressman Adam Schiff took to Twitter following news of the shooting, demanding gun safety measures.
Closely monitoring reports of a shooting at Grand Central Market in downtown Los Angeles.
— Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) May 15, 2022
This is a developing situation. But as we wait for more details to come in, one thing is clear:
We need gun safety measures. And we need them now.