LOS ANGELES, CA – A domestic dispute turned deadly in the Beverly Grove neighborhood Friday afternoon when a man fatally shot his brother to stop him from attacking their mother, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Authorities say the shooting has been classified as a justifiable homicide.
Officers responded to reports of a shooting around 1:25 p.m. in the 100 block of North Alfred Street. When officers arrived, they found a man dead at the scene and a woman—identified as the mother of the suspect and victim—with visible head injuries. She was transported to a local hospital for treatment.
According to police, the incident began when the older brother arrived at their mother’s residence and began acting violently, allegedly using a baseball bat to smash windows and damage property inside the home. At some point, he turned his aggression toward his mother, physically assaulting and reportedly choking her.
The woman managed to contact her younger son, who arrived shortly thereafter. Police say he witnessed his brother choking their mother and initially fired warning shots in an effort to get him to stop. When the older brother continued the assault, the younger brother shot and killed him.
LAPD investigators told City News Service that based on the evidence and witness accounts, the shooting has been deemed justifiable under California law. The names of those involved have not been released pending official identification and notification of next of kin.
The investigation remains active, and authorities are continuing to examine what led to the initial outburst of violence.