Tenant Shot to Death in Dispute Over Damage

A Canoga Park man, angered by a demand that he pay for damaging an apartment, kicked open the apartment’s door and shot the tenant to death in front of several witnesses, Los Angeles police reported Monday.

Tyrone Lanier, 29, was shot several times in the upper body and died in his apartment in the 21800 block of Saticoy Street, Detective Rick Swanston said. Witnesses to the shooting at 10:45 p.m. Sunday identified the gunman as Robert James Jones, 27, Swanston said. Jones fled after the shooting and has not been found, he said.

Police were called to the apartment by neighbors who heard screaming and shooting, Swanston said. Detectives learned that Lanier and Jones had quarreled earlier over two women who were staying in Lanier’s apartment, the detective said.