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 Police were called to a stretch of Ventura Boulevard, a major
thoroughfare in the San Fernando Valley, after receiving reports of
a man firing a gun on Friday afternoon while the area was packed
with cars and shoppers, Los Angeles police said in a brief statement
on social media.
Officers tried to engage the man and told him repeatedly to drop his
gun before opening fire and killing him, police said.
Nobody else was hurt.
A bomb squad was called in to inspect a bag the man had been
holding, media reported. Witnesses said the man was bearded and
dressed in a jacket despite the hot summer weather.
"He was just firing into the air while there were children and
parents walking around," witness Verta Keshishyan told KTLA.
"Police showed up, and they told him to drop his weapon. ... He
wasn't listening," Keshishyan said.
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The identity of the man was not released and it was unclear if he
had fired live rounds.
A handgun was found in the area, the Los Angeles Police Department
said.
(Reporting by Victoria Cavaliere; Editing by Paul Tait)
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