Riflewoman On Balcony, Shots Fired At LA Building Prompts Massive Police Response

LOS ANGELES, CA — A massive police response took place in Downtown Los Angeles Wednesday morning following reports of gunshots and a woman with a gun on a balcony. After about seven hours, two suspects were taken into custody after police negotiated with people barricaded inside an apartment.

The call came in at around 5:30 a.m. at the Broadway Palace, a multi-story building on Broadway near Olympic Boulevard and Ninth Street, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

Police had received a report of a woman with a rifle on a balcony and heard shots fired shortly after they responded. But the LAPD said it was not an active shooter, ABC 7 reported.

No victims were found, police said, but three shell casings from rifle rounds were found on the sixth floor, KNX reported from the scene.

Officers conducted a floor-by-floor search of the building as part of the response. No victims were found, police said.

"We have declared this a barricaded suspect and our SWAT team with Crisis Negotiation team has set up containment and is establishing lines of communication with the occupants of the location in attempt to gain willful compliance and render the situation safe," the LAPD said in a 12:20 p.m. update.

At around 12:30 p.m., officers took two suspects, both men, into custody and the all-clear was given, according to the LAPD.

One resident in the building told KTLA he woke up to what sounded like shotgun fire. He left his apartment 20 minutes later after hearing two more shots.

“I went to the lobby … I just saw a lot of officers,” said the unnamed resident. The man said that an officer initially aimed at him, thinking that he might be the suspect, but was released.

Police declared a citywide tactical alert at around 8 a.m., requiring officers to remain on duty, and an initial closure of Broadway between Ninth Street and Olympic Boulevard was widened to include Eight and Ninth streets between Hill and Main streets.

The alert was canceled by 1:30 p.m., according to police.

Aerial footage aired by KTLA showed armed officers taking positions atop a nearby building, pointing rifles in the direction of Broadway Palace, KTLA reported.

City News Service contributed to this report.