US teen killed by stray police bullet while trying on dresses in store
- The victim, 14-year-old Valentina Orellana-Peralta, was struck by a round fired at an assault suspect, who was also shot and killed by officers
- As of Friday, LAPD officers had shot at least 36 people in 2021, killing 17 of them
A 14-year-old girl was killed by Los Angeles police when they opened fire on a suspect who was allegedly assaulting someone in a North Hollywood clothing store on Thursday.
The victim, identified as Valentina Orellana-Peralta, was in a changing room with her mother when an officer fired a round through a wall near the assault suspect, striking her and killing her at the scene, according to preliminary information from police.
The teenager was at the Burlington store trying on dresses for a quinceanera, a Los Angeles Police Department source confirmed to the Los Angeles Times.
The assault suspect, who has not been identified, was also shot and killed by police, the department said. A woman who was injured by the suspect was transported to a local hospital, police said.
LAPD Chief Michel Moore called the girl’s death “absolutely heartbreaking” and promised a thorough investigation, as did William Briggs, president of the Los Angeles Police Commission.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta said the state Department of Justice would also investigate the shooting under rules set by a law that took effect July 1.
