LOS ANGELES – Gunfire erupted inside a home near the Hollywood Bowl Tuesday morning when a man shot his neighbor after the neighbor forced his way into his home and refused to leave, authorities said.
Officers responded to the 2200 block of Chelan Place just before 11 a.m. on reports of an assault with a deadly weapon.
According to Los Angeles police, the neighbor was undergoing some type of mental “episode” when he first shattered the back window of a Porsche and then forced his way into his neighbor’s home.
“He was asked to leave and when he refused the homeowner retrieved a firearm [and] shot the suspect,” said LAPD Officer Charles Miller.
The suspect was transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening wounds.
Police questioned and then released the homeowner, Miller said. It was unclear if he would face charges.
Police did not say if the suspect was armed when he was shot.
Steve Costello had traveled from Las Vegas to Los Angeles to purchase a car, a Mercedes, from the suspect, whom he identified only as “Alex.”
“He was going through some kind of emotional stuff,” Costello told KTLA. “He told me his dad passed away and that’s why he was selling the house and his car.”
Some witnesses told KTLA that during the commotion, Alex was shouting, “I am God! I am God!”
Another neighbor, who did not wish to be identified, said the suspect suffers from mental illness and drug abuse.
“The concerns are that he’s mentally unstable,” she said. “He really needs help and there’s been repeated instances where he’s cried for help, so to speak, so this seems like another one.”
Police say the investigation is ongoing and detectives have not yet determined if this was a case of self-defense.