1 Killed, 2 Hurt as Holdup at Jewelry Firm Is Foiled

One man was killed and two others were critically wounded during a botched robbery attempt at a downtown Los Angeles jewelry firm Tuesday, police said.

Workers wrestled guns away from two suspected thieves and shot them, police said. One of the injured, whom investigators described as a friend of the store owner, was shot before workers managed to overpower the suspected robbers.

The 1 p.m. shooting occurred in the office of the Frontier Jewelry Manufacturing company, on the fourth floor of the St. Vincent Jewelry Center at 640 S. Hill Street.

Detectives said a group of seven men arrived at the jewelry center, and four of them went up to the office and demanded money from employees at Frontier Jewelry.

The other suspects fled and were being sought by police.