1 wounded in shooting at Hollywood & Highland mall shoe store; suspect in custody

A suspect was in custody after a gunman opened fire in the heart of Hollywood Monday afternoon, wounding one person, officials said.

The gunfire rang out just before 4:30 p.m. at the Shoe Palace store at the Hollywood & Highland shopping mall at the corner of Highland Avenue and Hollywood Boulevard, said Officer William Cooper with the Los Angeles Police Department.

Investigators believe there was some type of dispute or altercation between the gunman and store management before shots were fired.

Jay Jay Davis, who was at the mall at the time, says he heard five gunshots.

The victim was struck multiple times in the torso. He was rushed to the hospital, where officials say he was later listed in stable condition.

Witnesses told 911 the shooting victim appeared to be a man who worked at the sneaker store, police said.

A perimeter was set up, and officers were seen with guns drawn as they searched the area for the shooter.

The suspect was inside the perimeter and detained as he tried to leave, when an officer recognized him from mall surveillance video, said LAPD Capt. Steve Lurie.

“We have really good quality video inside this complex,” Lurie said. “The suspect has a fairly unique appearance, and we have two witnesses who saw both the suspect leaving the shooting and our suspect in custody, and they confirm it’s the same person.”

No further information was immediately available about the person taken into custody.

What exactly led up to the shooting remains under investigation.

Though typically among one of the busiest tourist areas in L.A., officials say foot traffic at the shopping mall was relatively light Monday amid the pandemic.