Deadly Shooting Spree Across LA Ends With 91 Freeway Shutdown

FULLERTON, CA —A suspect wanted in three drive-by shootings—two of them deadly—between USC and downtown Los Angeles led police on a lengthy pursuit Tuesday morning. The suspect reportedly opened fire on authorities after it was disabled on the westbound Riverside (91) Freeway in Fullerton shortly before 5 a.m.

He died of gunshot wounds at the scene, according to officials.

Names of the victims have been withheld, pending notification of next of kin, according to officials. Police contacted a family member of the suspect after the incident came to a close.

The as-of-yet unidentified suspect's body remained on the freeway as of 8:30 a.m., resulting in a full shutdown of the 91 Freeway in both directions. The eastbound side has since reopened as of 9 a.m., and the entire westbound side of the freeway reopened after 4 p.m., according to the California Highway Patrol.

"Given the gravity of what happened here, we can only imagine the mental status of the suspect," Lt. Raul Jovel of the Los Angeles Police Department said during a news conference Tuesday morning.

"These appear to be random acts of violence ... we have no idea what precipitated this," Jovel said at a news conference near where the pursuit ended. "We'll be going back to the suspect's home, talking to family members, trying to figure out what led to these acts of violence."

Officers at the scene found one gun inside the vehicle, he confirmed, though the shooter's identity has not yet been released.

No officers were injured in the exchange, according to Jovel.

Los Angeles Police and California Highway Patrol officers are working together to try and open the freeway up as soon as possible.

Both directions of the 91 Freeway through Fullerton between Raymond Avenue and East Street are closed to traffic until further notice, California Highway Patrol reports.

UPDATE: EB SR-91 is open. WB SR-91 remains closed at Raymond Ave. @CHP_OC @City_of_Anaheim @CaltransDist7 https://t.co/JqRmIHiJ5C
— Caltrans OC (@CaltransOC) April 27, 2021

Officers in two armored vehicles blocked the light-colored SUV from moving around 4 a.m. with spike strips near the Harbor Boulevard exit and began inserting tear gas at about 4:50 a.m. That's when the suspect opened fire, Jovel reported.

Officers and the suspect exchanged gunfire at the end of the incident, according to Jovel.

Multiple Shootings On Figueroa Tuesday

Figueroa Street was the location of at least three shooting incidents starting at 1 a.m. when a man was shot and wounded in the downtown Los Angeles area, Jovel said.

The wounded man, who is expected to survive, gave authorities a description of the suspect's vehicle, Jovel said. Police began seeking the white SUV.

About 25 minutes later, another man was shot and killed while sitting in his car near Figueroa and 28th streets, according to Jovel.

Family members told reporters at the scene that the victim, a 25-year-old newlywed, was in a drive-thru line at Starbucks with his wife, who wasn't injured in the shooting.

"About 15, 20 minutes later, there was another male that was shot near the area of Seventh and Figueroa (streets)," Jovel said. That man died, Jovel said. KTLA5 reported that the victim inside a black Cadillac Escalade, which KTLA5 described as an Uber driver who was stopped at a red light.

"The officers quickly discovered that it was the same shooting suspect description — a male in a white Cherokee," Jovel said. "That information was immediately put out ... to all patrol units."

Patrolling officers saw the vehicle and began their pursuit at 1:45 a.m., Jovel said.

The shootings were all connected to the driver of the Jeep, Jovel confirmed. Officers gave chase at low speeds for nearly three hours from both the air and freeways, the Los Angeles Police Department said.

The suspected shooter traveled along the Pomona (60) and Orange (57) freeways before coming to an end on the westbound Riverside Freeway near Harbor Boulevard at about 3:25 a.m.

Officers used a loudspeaker to order the suspect to surrender, but he refused to comply, according to police.

Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer's office will be investigating the officer-involved shooting that occurred in Orange County.

This is a developing report. Please refresh for the latest information.

City News Service, Patch Editor Ashley Ludwig contributed to this report.