Owner Fatally Shot At East Hollywood 98 Cents Store
EAST HOLLYWOOD (CBSLA.com) — Police are searching for the man who walked into a 98 Cents Store Tuesday and gunned down the owner, police said.
Police initially received a call around 11:40 a.m. about reports of a shooting in the 5000 block of Hollywood Boulevard, LAPD Capt. Jeffery Bert said.
The owner, 62-year-old Yeprem Khotsuryan, was found dead at the scene from multiple gun shot wounds.
Investigators say a witness heard a crashing sound in a neighboring store and went into the 98 Cents Store to further investigate.
A masked suspect walked into the store and began firing, according to the LAPD.
Investigators scoured the area for more than 10 hours hoping to track down the suspect. They won't specify the suspected motive or whether the man robbed the store.
Neighbors and local shop owners describe Khotsuryan as a family man. They say he was planning to sell the shop soon and retire.
"He'll be missed by everyone around here," said Carol Columbo, who has shopped at the store for years. "Beautiful person. Yeah, it's a shame, it's really a shame because he was the nicest guy."
Shoppers say the owner's wife and two sons often came in and helped him at the register.
"It's very sad. The family is destroyed," a business owner said.
Anyone with information was asked to call the LAPD.
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