A Bellflower smoke shop was badly damaged after two masked suspects allegedly opened fire at an employee before throwing a Molotov cocktail into the business and fleeing, authorities said.
Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies were called to The Spot Smoke Shop on Somerset Boulevard shortly before 4.30am on Sunday following reports of gunfire. Investigators said the employee was behind bulletproof glass and was not struck.
The suspects are also accused of igniting the fire, which spread through the premises. Los Angeles County firefighters later examined the heavily damaged building, concentrating on its rear section.
No injuries were reported in connection with the incident. The suspects ran away in an unknown direction and remained at large, with no detailed description available because both were wearing masks.
Residents gathered outside the business on Sunday morning to look at the damage. One neighbour told local television station FOX 11: “When we woke up, this had already happened.”
The shop was understood to have opened relatively recently after the premises had stood vacant for an extended period.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is investigating. No arrests had been announced.
