Customer fatally shoots man threatening to kill everyone in store, CA cops say
A man accused of following a woman into a store, groping her and threatening others inside was fatally shot by a customer, California police say.
Workers asked the man to leave the Compton store after he was accused of groping the woman the afternoon of Sunday, Oct. 19, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said in a news release.
In response, deputies said the man verbally assaulted the workers and customers, and he started throwing and damaging goods inside the store.
Employees and customers believed the man was holding a knife in his hand when he threatened to “kill and harm everyone in the store,” deputies said.
Out of fear for her own safety and others in the store, another customer armed herself with her firearm and “fired a warning shot” in the man’s direction, the sheriff’s department said.
When the man turned toward the woman, she feared he would attack her and fired another round, hitting the man, deputies said.
After getting a report of a disturbance, deputies said they arrived at the store to find the injured man.
Compton fire officials arrived, pronouncing the man dead on scene, deputies said.
Based on the store’s video footage, deputies said they believe there were more customers inside at the time of the incident, as well as people in the parking lot who may have seen the man before he entered the store.
Anyone with information is asked to contact deputies at 323-890-5500.
This story was originally published October 21, 2025 at 11:57 AM with the headline "Customer fatally shoots man threatening to kill everyone in store, CA cops say."
