Los Angeles 7-Elevens Targeted on 7-11

 

by Pa Rock

Citizen Journalist

It was a night of criminal activity that is almost certain to earn a mention in the annals of "True Crime," if for no other reason than its strange focus on the numbers seven and eleven, and it all happened early yesterday in and around the City of Angels.

Beginning yesterday (7/11) just after the stroke of midnight and lasting until almost 5:00 a.m., six 7-Eleven convenience stores in the Los Angeles area were the scenes of robberies and/or shootings by at least one armed gunman who shot and killed two individuals and wounded three others during a late-night crime spree.  Police are tentatively saying at least four of the robberies, and possibly all six, are connected.

A robbery was reported at a 7-Eleven store in Ontario, California, at midnight, just as July 11th was beginning.  Thirty-seven minutes later another 7-Eleven store was robbed by an armed individual on the 2100 Block of Arrow Route in Upland.  At that store the robber stole several items including drinks and bottled wine, and between $400 and  $500 in cash.

At 1:50 a.m. another 7-Eleven was robbed in Riverside, California, and a customer was shot in that incident.  The victim remains in grave condition.

A 24-year-old resident of Santa Ana, California, was shot and killed in the parking lot of a 7-Eleven store on East 17th Street in Santa Ana, California, at 3:23 a.m.   The shooter robbed the individual that he shot, and then did not enter that store.  At this point it remains unknown whether the victim had a connection to the store or not.

Less than an hour later at 4:18 a.m., a store clerk was shot and killed at a 7-Eleven in Brea.  And the final incident occurred at 4:55 a.m. when a store clerk and customer were both shot and wounded at a 7-Eleven on Whittier Boulevard in La Habra.

7-Eleven issued the following statement:

"Our hearts are with the victims and their loved ones.  We are gathering information on this terrible tragedy and working with local law enforcement.  Right now our focus is on Franchisee, associate, and customer safety.   With that in mind, we encouraged the stores in Los Angeles to close overnight."

Police are circulating photos of the suspect which were taken by multiple store security cameras.  He was wearing a black, hooded sweatshirt with white letting on the front.  Only the area around his eyes is visible in the photos.

The motivation for choosing that particular chain of convenience stores is unknown at this point, but the selection of the date for the criminal mayhem will make the crimes memorable and something that will be discussed for a very long time to come.  

Obviously there will be more to follow on this story.