bystander lapd
Los Angeles Police Department PIO Capt. Stacy Spell, second from left, speaks in a press conference at the scene where two people were struck by gunfire in a shooting at a Burlington store — part of a chain formerly known as Burlington Coat Factory in North Hollywood, Calif., Thursday, Dec. 23, 2021. (AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu)
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The Los Angeles Police Department released an edited video package Monday that showed bodycam footage, 911 calls, radio transmissions, and store surveillance video from the shooting of a suspect and bystander last week.

Video showed Los Angeles police firing at a man suspected of assaulting customers last week at a Burlington Clothing store. The shooting also killed a 14-year-old girl in a dressing room who was trying on dresses with her mother. She was struck by a bullet that ricocheted off the ground and went through a wall.

Officers were called to the Burlington store for a “hostile customer in the store attacking customers,” a 911 recording showed.

YouTube video

The man was 24-year-old Daniel Elena-Lopez, and he was seen on surveillance video walking around the store with a bike lock damaging property and attacking customers. 

Police shoot at suspect in populated store

Officers located the suspect by spotting a victim on the ground who was bleeding from the attacks.

“Hey, slow down, slow down, let me take point with the rifle,” the officer who fired the shots can be heard saying on his bodycam footage.

“Slow down, slow down, slow down,” other officers can be heard behind him yelling as the officer with the rifle rushed forward.

The officer, who has not been named by LAPD, noticed the victim bleeding on the ground and rushed forward.

“Hey, she’s bleeding! She’s bleeding,” the lead officer said. As he got to the victim, the suspect was nearby and three shots were fired before the suspect was able to duck away.

Another officer behind the lead officer can be heard yelling “hold up, hold up Jones, hold up, hold up,” right before the officer with the rifle shot the suspect.

Three shots were fired in total.

Shortly after the three shots are fired, a scream can be heard nearby coming from a woman. The woman was 14-year-old Valentina Orellana-Peralta’s mother, who had realized her daughter was hit by a bullet.

Innocent bystander dies in mother’s arm from police bullet

Orellana-Peralta, along with the suspect, was pronounced dead at the scene.

“Valentina died in the arms of her mother, inside the dressing room,” her aunt said. “My sister does not understand how this tragedy could have happened just when they had managed to reunite the family.”

Notably, Elena-Lopez didn’t have a gun when he was shot and killed.

Conflicting information provided from 911 callers made it unclear to officers if Elena-Lopez was armed.

One dispatcher was told that Elena-Lopez was “using one of those bike locks” to attack customers.

Another dispatcher, speaking with another caller, was told “there’s a guy with a gun.”

Dispatchers reported an assault with a deadly weapon to officers, but also a shooting, the calls showed.

LAPD Chief Michel Moore has called Valentina’s shooting a tragedy, and tried to assure the public that the department’s investigation would be thorough, with detailed analysis of each action that was taken by the responding officers. The California Department of Justice is also conducting an independent investigation.

Mike Creef is a fighter for equality and justice for all. Growing up bi-racial (Jamaican-American) on the east coast allowed him to experience many different cultures and beliefs that helped give him a...