A quiet Monday morning at a South Los Angeles senior living facility erupted into chaos when an employee allegedly opened fire inside the building, leaving three co-workers wounded and one fighting for their life.
The shooting broke out around 10:50 a.m. at Progressive Home for the Elderly on Denver Avenue near Florence Avenue, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Officers arrived within about two minutes after receiving reports of gunfire.
Police found three wounded employees inside the lobby of the six-story building.
One victim was hospitalized in critical condition, while the other two were listed in stable condition. Authorities said the victims included a man in his 60s and two women. Their names have not been released.
The call was quickly upgraded to a possible active-shooter situation as officers began searching the facility.
After conducting what police described as a systematic search of the building, officers found the suspected gunman elsewhere inside and took him into custody.
The suspect was described as a man in his 60s who also worked at the senior facility. Witnesses told local reporters that he worked there as a custodian.
A handgun believed to have been used in the shooting was recovered at the scene, according to reports.
Witnesses told ABC7 that the employee had apparently been speaking with management shortly before he allegedly pulled out a gun and opened fire on staff members. Police have not publicly confirmed that account or announced an official motive.
Another early report claimed the suspect said, “I’m tired of this,” before the shooting, but investigators have not publicly verified that statement. Because the investigation remains active, police have not said what may have triggered the violence.
Dorothy Mobley, a caregiver who was inside the facility when the shooting happened, told KTLA that she had only recently entered the building when she encountered the custodian near the front desk.
She quickly fled.
Mobley said she was stunned by the allegations because the man had never caused trouble before.
The Progressive Home for the Elderly houses roughly 100 seniors, according to Los Angeles City Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson. Despite the gunfire erupting inside the building, police said none of the residents were injured.
Residents were told to remain in place while officers searched the building and secured the scene.
LAPD said there was no continuing threat to the public once the suspect was detained.
Investigators are now interviewing witnesses and working to determine exactly what led to the shooting.
The suspect’s identity has not yet been publicly released, and police have not announced what charges he may face.
