A man was shot and killed during an attempted robbery outside a popular Hollywood restaurant early Tuesday morning.
The shooting happened around 2:10 a.m. outside Bossa Nova Brazilian Cuisine in the 7180 block of Sunset Boulevard.
The victim, a 23-year-old, was sitting in his vehicle when he saw several people approach his female companion outside and try to rob her, Los Angeles Police Department Officer Drake Madison said.
He got out of the car and was then shot and killed, Madison said.
The suspects then fled the scene, leaving the wounded victim in the street near his car.
Police said there may be up to eight suspects involved in the incident who are on the run.
No arrests had been made Tuesday morning, and no description of the assailants was available.
A security guard who works at a nearby business, Robert Jackson, said he was on his break in his car when he heard the gunshots and saw two cars drive off.
“I hear some sirens, see a helicopter, that’s when I decide to jump out, walk down the street,” Jackson said. “And when I got to the corner, I just see the gentleman laying next to the car.”
The shooting drew a large police response to the busy Sunset Boulevard area, with about a dozen homicide detectives at the scene later Tuesday morning.
Video showed crowds watching behind police tape that was blocking off the streets surrounding the restaurant as officers probed the scene.
The case remains under investigation and no further details were available.
With the recent rise of follow-home robberies, the LAPD on Tuesday announced the formation of the Follow Home Task Force.
Approximately 20 detectives from the Robbery-Homicide Division and and other LAPD divisions will investigate this robbery and other similar cases, the department said in a press release.