STUDIO CITY—On July 22, the Los Angeles Police Department shot and killed an unidentified Studio City gunman who was reported firing a gun on the corner of Ventura and Laurel Canyon Boulevards.
Around 3:20 p.m., LAPD officers responded to multiple calls about a man in the area who was armed and shooting into the air.
Michael Ruiz told CBS 2, “I heard about three to four gunshots, I thought they were firecrackers or something and I saw a bunch of people running and I saw a police officer pointing his gun out and just got pretty scared and just ran [inside].”
The LAPD arrived at the scene to find the suspect sitting at a bench in front of the Union Bank on the 12100 block of Ventura Boulevard.
The police were unable to approach the gunman because of the possibility that he had bomb strapped to his body or in either of the two objects beside him.
Officers ordered the suspect to drop his gun. When he instead raised the weapon into the air, they opened fire. He was subsequently pronounced dead at the scene.
Around 4:20 p.m., an LAPD bomb squad robot was deployed and detonated the two items believed to be explosives. One object appeared to be a metal cylindrical coffee canister, and the other a black briefcase, a witness told the Los Angeles Times.
After a thorough investigation of the scene, it was reported at 5:45 p.m. that the area was clear of explosives.
The FBI confirmed that although the incident happened in such close proximity to Union Bank, there were no reports of a robbery in the area.
As of 5:30 p.m., Ventura Boulevard between Laurel Canyon Boulevard and Laurelgrove Avenue, and Laurel Canyon Boulevard south of Moorpark Street are closed due to the investigation. An LAPD spokeswoman said residents can expect the closures to last until at least midnight.
