Man Fatally Shot Outside Bank Of America In Paramount
PARAMOUNT (CBSLA) -- Detectives are searching for the killer of a man shot outside a Bank of America branch in Paramount Friday morning.
It was unclear if the man had left the bank or was about to enter.
The unidentified man's family gathered at the crime scene.
CBS2's Randy Paige said he couldn't understand what the man's relatives were saying but their grief was easily translated.
Detectives would only say the man was in his late 30s and was shot once in the chest.
He was declared dead at the scene.
"We do believe he's a regular customer at the bank and that will be part of our investigation," said Paramount Police Lt. Charles Calderero.
Paige asked Calderero if the man was shot during the commission of a robbery.
"Could have been a robbery, that's what it's appearing to be. But at this time we haven't confirmed," Calderero says.
A number of potential witnesses were identified. Detectives are also collecting footage from the many surveillance cameras at the location. They believe the shooting could have been captured on video.
Thomas Garcia watched the investigation unfold from his front yard -- across the street from the murder scene.
"My grandkids or my family's here then I'm very worried about it cause it could happen to anybody," Thomas said.
He was touched that the violence that hit so close to home also hit him as a family man.
"It's very sad what happened to that individual. He didn't deserve it being so young," Thomas says.
And while the victim has not been identified, from the large gathering at the crime scene, Paige reported, "it's clear he touched many lives."
On Friday evening, KCAL9's Hermela Aregawi reported the victim's first name from Abdullah.
She was able to find that he was a store owner who has been running his uncle's former business for about a decade. Family told her Abdullah, born in Egypt, was hard-working and got married about two years ago.
Police also told her there was a struggle between the suspect and the victim before the shooting. They are still going on the theory that the shooting occurred during an attempted robbery.
