Gunman opens fire in LAPD station, wounding one officer

A Los Angeles Fire Department ambulance carrying a wounded police officer and an LAPD patrol car arrive at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center after a gunman opened fire in the department's West Bureau Traffic lobby in Mid-City. The gunman was in critical condition after being hit multiple times by return fire. (Lawrence K. Ho, Los Angeles Times / )

A gunman walked into a Los Angeles Police Department station lobby Monday night and opened fire, wounding one officer in an exchange of gunfire.

The male suspect, who was not identified, was wounded when two officers returned fire inside the West Bureau Traffic lobby in Mid-City, police said.

The officer was hit multiple times, with several of the rounds striking his vest and one bullet passing through his left arm, Cmdr. Dennis Kato said. He was in stable condition, Kato said.

The suspect was also hit multiple times and was in critical condition, undergoing surgery, he said.

The shooting was reported about 8:30 p.m. at the station on Venice Boulevard near South La Brea Avenue in Mid-City. The building also houses the LAPD Wilshire Division.

The wounded officer was being treated at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where officers descended on the emergency room in a show of support. The name of the officer was not released.

The suspect was believed to have entered the station with a handgun and said something about having a complaint, Kato said. Investigators at the scene had not determined a motive for the shooting.

'We don't know who he is, where he came from,' Kato said. 'We don't even have a name on him at this point.'

Investigators were also trying to piece together how the violence unfolded, including how the gunman traveled to the station.

Late Monday, several blocks around the station were cordoned off after detectives and officers in patrol cars converged on the scene.

The area where the shooting occurred was much busier Monday night than normal, he said. In a room directly off the lobby, about 35 people had gathered for a community meeting when the shooting occurred.

The department's traffic bureau primarily investigates accidents and other vehicle-related incidents.

News footage showed the officer being transported in a Los Angeles Fire Department ambulance.

samantha.schaefer@latimes.com Times staff writers Robert J. Lopez and Angel Jennings contributed to this report.

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