Detectives arrest 16-year-old in fatal shooting of Shoe Palace employee

Detectives have arrested a juvenile in connection with the fatal shooting of a shoe store employee who intervened in a fight that erupted during a shoe raffle in Melrose, authorities said late Thursday.

Shoe Palace, in the 7700 block of Melrose Avenue, was holding a raffle about noon Wednesday when a fight broke out, the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement. An employee called a co-worker, Jayren Bradford, who came to the store to help deal with the situation, police said.

When Bradford arrived, he was confronted by people in the crowd. Someone in the crowd drew a gun and shot Bradford, then fled in a sedan north on Genesee Avenue, according to police.

Paramedics took Bradford, 26, to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Detectives arrested a teenage suspect about 12:30 p.m. Thursday in the 8100 block of State Street in South Gate and booked him on suspicion of murder, police said. Because of his age, the suspect was described only as a 16-year-old male. Detectives plan to present a murder case to county prosecutors next week, police said.

The LAPD said detectives recovered “extensive video” of the shooting and credited numerous tips from the public with helping make an arrest in the case.