The teen was fatally struck by what authorities believe to be a stray bullet fired by an officer that penetrated the wall of a Burlington store in North Hollywood, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) said. Valentina was in the store’s dressing room with her mother at the time.
“Preliminary, we believe that round was an officer’s round,” Choi said.
The assault suspect, identified by the coroner’s office as 24-year-old Daniel Elena Lopez, was shot and killed by police, Choi said. A steel or metal cable lock was found near the man, and investigators believe it was involved in the assault on another woman, he said. No firearm was recovered from the scene.
The LAPD is planning to release body camera footage, 911 calls, radio transmissions and other evidence related to the shooting Monday, Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore said last week.
“This chaotic incident resulting in the death of an innocent child is tragic and devastating for everyone involved. I am profoundly sorry for the loss of this young girl’s life and I know there are no words that can relieve the unimaginable pain for the family,” he said last week.
An LAPD official familiar with the investigation told CNN’s Paul Vercammen they were “aware of reports that a witness said the girl was trying on a quinceañera dress with her mother. We are looking in to this as part of our investigation.”
The officer who fired the fatal shots is on “paid administrative leave, per department protocols for officer involved shootings, for at least two weeks,” the official told CNN.
LAPD provides timeline of fatal shooting
According to the timeline provided by the LAPD, North Hollywood police officers responded to a radio call at 11:45 a.m. for an assault with a deadly weapon in progress at a Burlington store on Victory Boulevard.
While en route, they received multiple calls about a “possible shooting in progress” and people were sheltering in place, the LAPD said.
Upon arrival, officers found a female who was bleeding and suffering from various injuries.
The officers then encountered a man suspected in the assault a short distance away and shot at him, the statement said. He was struck by gunfire and declared dead at the scene, authorities said.
Afterward, officers found a hole in the wall behind the man, which turned out to be a changing room. Inside, officers found a 14-year-old girl struck by gunfire and pronounced her dead at the scene, police said.
The woman who was assaulted was transported to a local hospital with head and arm injuries, police said.
Police do not believe there was any relation between the three people.
Per state law, the California Department of Justice is investigating the officer-involved shooting, Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement.
CNN’s Topher Gauk-Roger and Andy Rose contributed to this report.
More News
NYU Nurse Is Fired After Calling the Gaza War a ‘Genocide’ in Speech
Here Comes Manhattanhenge 2024: When and Where to Watch
Man Charged With Hate Crimes in New York City Street Attacks