COMPTON, Calif. – A 49-year-old shooting suspect in Compton was taken into custody Thursday after he allegedly opened fire at responding deputies and barricaded himself in his apartment, which caught fire while he was inside.
Deputy Miguel Meza told reporters at the scene that the suspect — later identified as Alrick Billini Mcneese of Compton — was armed with a shotgun, which he fired when deputies knocked on the door. The shotgun blast did not pass through the door, and no deputies were injured, he said.
Deputies were sent to the 100 block of Acacia Avenue about 7:30 a.m. on an assault with a deadly weapon call, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department reported.
A person who had been wounded was taken to a hospital in unknown condition, the sheriff’s department reported.
Compton residents awoke to the sounds of a helicopter hovering near City Hall.
About 8:15 a.m., a fire was reported in the building. Deputy Miguel Meza told reporters that the fire was in the suspect’s apartment, and the suspect apparently was responsible for igniting it.
The wounded person — either a friend or a roommate of the suspect — told deputies a firearm was accidentally discharged, Meza said. An elderly woman was one of the residents rescued by LASD deputies while at the scene as deputies led them to a safer area.
“The victim said there was some sort of accidental discharge inside the location, which is when the deputies responded to the gunshot victim call,” Meza told Fox11. The circumstances of the shooting remained under investigation.
The suspect surrendered about 8:45 a.m., the sheriff’s department reported.
“After a couple hours and many verbal attempts by LASD deputies and SEB Tactical Team, the incident has concluded peacefully,” a sheriff’s department statement said.
According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, officers responded to the area on a report of an assault with a deadly weapon.
Deputies are currently securing the scene; all deputies are accounted for, according to the LASD.
Residents are urged to avoid the area between Acacia and Oleander.
Shooting Suspect Barricaded in Apartment @CitizenApp
120 N Acacia Ave 7:36:43 AM PDT
City News Service contributed to this article
