Two people were killed and three others were injured in armed robberies of six 7-Eleven stores in the Los Angeles area on National 7-Eleven Day. The shootings and robberies took place in Ontario and Riverside, La Habra, Santa Ana, and Brea — all cities near Los Angeles.
Matthew Hirsch, 40, who was working the overnight shift at a 7-Eleven in Brea, was shot and killed early Monday morning, as was Matthew Rule, 24, and he was found dead outside the store.
The shootings and robberies took place in a very small area, from 2 a.m. until 5 a.m.
Riverside was the first to call the police.
CBS News
The investigation was ongoing Monday morning, with officers including a Robbery and Homicide team surveying the scene to search for any information about the suspect, who fled the scene just before authorities arrived.
Investigators found that the suspect was a male and had taken several random items from the shop, but not any money.
It wasn’t clear if the suspect in the robbery of 7-Eleven locations located in Ontario and Upland was the same person who hit the Riverside store.
Riverside police worked closely with law enforcement agencies during all shootings on Monday. They noted that there were many similarities between each.
The store was expected not to be open for long as crime scene detectives reviewed surveillance video and photographed the crime scene.
The last shooting reported was just before 5 a.m.
Multiple people in Los Angeles County needed medical transport following the shooting at the 7-11 on East Whittier Boulevard in La Habra.
Officers arrived at the scene to find a customer and an employee with gunshot wounds. The shooting occurred just before 5 AM. Both were reported to be stable.
Sky2 showed several pieces of clothing that were covered in blood on the sidewalk near the convenience store.
Santa Ana, Brea, and La Habra police believe that the same suspect is responsible for the shootings in their respective towns. It is not yet clear if Riverside’s shooting may be connected.
It is not common for clerks and customers to be brutally murdered. Could this be gang initiation? This wouldn’t be the first instance of gangs using innocents to “jump in” and set an example.
Authorities are also investigating if there is any connection to other store robberies that occurred in the San Fernando Valley a few days before.
