CONVERSATIONS WITH THE GUNMAN

These are partial transcripts of telephone conversations Monday between United Press International and the gunman inside the Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry store. He later was identified as Steven Livaditis, 22.

Livaditis: My intention was to take jewelry and leave, with nobody hurt. It didn’t turn out that way.

UPI: What happened?

Livaditis: I looked out the window and I saw police officers in front of the store.

UPI: And then what happened?

Livaditis: And then I took them hostage.

UPI: And who did you take hostage?

Livaditis: I took three men and two women, all employees of Van Cleef & Arpels.

UPI: Where are they now?

Livaditis: The two men are alive and well. One man is dead.

UPI: How did he die?

Livaditis: I murdered him.

UPI: How did you do that?

Livaditis: I stabbed him.

UPI: How long ago did you do that?

Livaditis: Oh, approximately--how long ago was it?--half an hour, three-quarters of an hour ago.

UPI: Can you describe what led up to that incident?

Livaditis: He was a security guard in here. He was talking back to me. I asked him to keep his mouth shut and he, and he kept talking so, so I killed him.

UPI: Can you describe how you killed him?

Livaditis: I stabbed him. I stabbed the man in the back.

UPI: Do you regret that now?

Livaditis: Do I regret it? Absolutely not. I do not regret it. It was the appropriate thing to do at the time. He failed to obey my orders, my order being not to say anything, to keep his mouth shut.

These are from conversations between the gunman and KTLA-TV Channel 5. Livaditis called the station three times; the sheriff’s hostage negotiating team helped orchestrate the station’s responses.

Livaditis: I didn’t intend on this happening. Well, it’s happening right now. I didn’t come in here with the intention of hurting anybody. I came here to grab some jewelry and, uh, next thing I know the police are outside across the street.

KTLA: What have you done with Mr. Smith’s (security guard William Richard Smith) body?

Livaditis: Mr. Smith’s body is lying here approximately three feet away . . . dead for several hours.

KTLA: Why do you want the TV?

Livaditis: I’ll make a statement when I’m put on the air. I want it taped and put on television and aired at a later date. And I’d like to be put on television live. That’s one of my demands.

KTLA: What would this take . . . (gunman interrupts).

Livaditis: One man has died already. OK? And I will execute somebody else.

KTLA: When?

Livaditis: Within the next few minutes.

KTLA: The next few minutes?

Livaditis: Yes.

KTLA: What can we do to prevent you from doing that?

Livaditis: That is final. There is absolutely nothing you can do to prevent me from doing that, unless I see TV cameras outside the door right now coming inside.

KTLA: Can we bring this to a peaceful end by sending you a television camera and a TV set?

Livaditis: That’s right. I want to see myself on network television live.