Robbery Suspect Killed During Holdup

One robbery suspect was killed and another wounded during a gunfight inside a music store Tuesday night, Los Angeles police said.

One unidentified suspect died shortly after being shot several times at the East West Muzik Store at 5641 Lankershim Blvd. at about 8:30 p.m.

A second suspect, Decarra Spencer, 18, of North Hollywood, was arrested after he arrived at a Hollywood hospital with a bullet wound to his upper body, police said.

LAPD Det. Mike Coffey said three men walked into the shop, drew handguns and ordered a 39-year-old manager and his 33-year-old employee to the ground.

“Somehow the manager eased his way to the front door and escaped,” Coffey said.

The manager ran to a nearby pizza shop and told them to call 911, police said.

“At that point he heard gunshots from inside his business,” Coffey said. “When he went back into his store he found one male lying on the floor with multiple gunshot wounds.”

The other two gunmen and the store employee were no longer in the shop, Coffey said.

Paramedics took the wounded man, believed to be in his mid-20s, to North Hollywood Medical Center, where he died an hour later.

Coroner’s officials had not identified the man late Wednesday.

Later Tuesday evening a wounded Spencer checked into Queen of Angeles Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center, Coffey said.

He was arrested on suspicion of murder and will be held without bail at North Hollywood Jail after he is released from the hospital, Coffey said.

“At this point it appears that there was a robbery in progress,” Coffey said. “It appears one of the suspects was shot and killed--we don’t know if he was mistakenly shot by one of the other suspects or if the employee was armed or if he somehow disarmed one of the suspects.”

Coffey said the manager had a gun in the shop, but authorities did not believe that it had been fired. Investigators will conduct forensic tests on the gun and other evidence found in the store, he said.

The store employee who fled the scene is being sought by police for questioning. One robbery suspect remained at large Wednesday.