A former employee of a Los Angeles Trader Joe's has been charged with three counts of murder following a hostage situation at the supermarket. Gene Evin Atkins, 28, is accused of killing his grandmother, another woman, and a store employee during the incident on Saturday.
Police say Atkins shot his grandmother seven times and wounded another woman before forcing her into a car and leading officers on a chase. The chase ended outside the Trader Joe's in Silver Lake, where Atkins crashed into a pole and ran inside, taking dozens of hostages.
During the standoff, Atkins exchanged gunfire with police. Melyda Corado, 27, a Trader Joe's employee, was killed in the crossfire. It remains unclear whether she was struck by police bullets or by the gunman. No hostages were seriously injured.
After about three hours, Atkins surrendered peacefully, handcuffing himself and walking out surrounded by four hostages. He is being held on $2m bail. His grandmother remains in critical condition.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti praised the police response, saying the hostage negotiators saved lives. The incident left the community shaken, with many expressing condolences for Corado, described by her brother as 'my baby sister. My world.'
