Los Angeles police identified the 14-year-old girl who was accidentally shot dead by officers while inside a dressing room during an encounter with a 24-year-old armed male suspect, an incident that the city's police chief called "tragic."
Officials reported that two people were fatally shot during the shootout when police opened fire at a suspect who was found at a clothing store. The LA County Coroner said the victim was Valentina Orellana Peralta. They did not offer additional information regarding the cause of death but police said on Thursday that the initial belief was that she was struck by a stray bullet.
14-Year-Old Victim
"This chaotic incident resulting in the death of an innocent child is tragic and devastating for everyone involved. I am profoundly sorry for the loss of this young girl's life and I know there are no words that can relieve the unimaginable pain for the family," said police chief Michel Moore in a statement, ABC News reported.
The suspect was later identified to be Daniel Elena Lopez and was killed by police during the shootout at the clothing store. After the encounter, police discovered a hole in the wall behind where the suspect was standing and found Peralta on the other side with a gunshot wound to her chest.
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The young girl, who was to turn 15 years old in May, was at the clothing store looking for a dress to wear for her quinceañera and was with her mother when she was accidentally shot. Police said that the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), the mayor's "crisis response team," and the city council member Monica Rodriguez, were assisting the victim's family.
An LAPD spokesman, Stacy Spells, said that the officer responsible for firing shots was put on paid leave after the incident, which was consistent with department protocols. Spells, who refused to identify the police officer, said that they will be required to undergo a psychological evaluation and review by the chief of police before being allowed to go back to the line of duty, The Washington Post reported.
Stray Bullet
The incident began when officers responded to multiple radio calls about an assault with a deadly weapon and a potential shooting at a Burlington store on Victory Boulevard, said police. Officers said that when they arrived, they discovered a man assaulting a woman and quickly fired at him, who was later identified as Lopez.
Officials took the unidentified woman who was the victim of the assault to a hospital to be treated for injuries to her head and arms. During a news conference on Thursday, assistant chief of the LAPD, Dominic H. Choi, said that officers found a heavy metal lock near the man but no gun.
A professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Manhattan and a former New York City police officer, Eugene O'Donnell, said that investigations into shootings involving the police hinge on what the officer "reasonably could have known." Investigations of the incident will look into the officer's tactics during the shooting, perceptions of the threat and weapons, the officer's history, and interviews with other officers who were at the scene of the incident, the New York Times reported.
