Man gropes, attacks store's customers, then female shopper fatally shoots him, authorities say

Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times on Oct 21, 2025

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LOS ANGELES -- A woman shot and killed a man who groped and attacked customers inside a Compton store, according to the L.A. County Sheriff's Department, and officials are asking witnesses to come forward.

On Sunday, deputies from the Compton Sheriff's Station responded to an emergency call of a disturbance, which was later updated to include a gunshot victim, at a shopping center in the 1300 block of East Alondra Boulevard, according to a news release.

The Sheriff's Department did not name the store where the incident took place.

A preliminary investigation found that an unidentified man entered a store following a female customer, whose identity has not been disclosed.

Investigators say the male groped the female customer, which prompted the store's employees to ask the man to leave.

According to the news release, the man responded by becoming verbally aggressive, throwing and damaging merchandise in the store.

Officials say the employees and customers then noticed the man had an object in his hand that they believed was a knife. They said he threatened to kill and harm everyone in the store, according to authorities.

"A second customer in the store, fearing for the store employees, herself, and other customers, retrieved a personal firearm and fired a warning shot at the male," the news release stated.

When the man turned toward the armed customer, officials said, she feared being attacked and fired a second shot, which struck the man.

Responding officers found the man who was suffering from a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators said, based on video evidence, there were additional customers in the store who might have witnessed the incident unfold. They're asking anyone who was in the store or in the parking lot and saw the man to call the Sheriff's Homicide Bureau.

The bureau can be reached at (323) 890-5500, or anonymous tips can be made by contacting Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477, using the "P3 Tips" mobile app on Google play or the Apple App Store, or by visiting the Crime Stoppers website .