Shooting leaves one man dead in Echo Park pot clinic *

One man was killed and another injured following an afternoon shooting and attempted robbery inside an Echo Park  medical marijuana clinic on Sunset Boulevard  LAPD spokeswoman Rosario Herrera, citing preliminary information, said the two victims – described as Latino males – were shot after several armed suspects entered the marijuana dispensary – The Higher Path – shortly after 4 PM in the 1300 block of Sunset Boulevard. Both victims were employees at the dispensary.

Several hours later, the employee of a Hollywood pot clinic was killed during a separate attempted robbery, according to LA Now.

The Echo Park shooting left residents who lived nearby unable to return to their homes for more than six  hours and shut down Sunset Boulevard during the rush hour as police searched for suspects  believed to have fled into a nearby apartment building. At 11 PM, some residents were being allowed to walk to their homes but Sunset Boulevard between Marion Avenue and Elysian Park Avenue remain closed.  No suspects has been apprehended, according to one officer.

The LAPD has shut down  Sunset Boulevard at Elysian Park Avenue as they surrounded an apartment building at 1320 Sunset Boulevard.  Police were seen detaining two men on Allison Street in Angeleno Heights near the scene of the shooting. Meanwhile,  all traffic on Sunset Boulevard was backing up during the evening rush hour, with commuters spilling into side streets.

Residents were not allowed to leave or enter the apartment building.  Alejandro Avalos, who lives in the apartment building, said he was going home to pick up his family to attend his son’s graduation at Cal State LA when he was stopped by police. “They don’t know nothing – they can’t go out,”  said Avalos after speaking to a family member on his mobile phone.

A person who identified herself as the daughter of Avalos posted a comment to this story that said: “I can’t believe what is happening. My mom is going crazy because she is missing out the ceremony and there is nothing we can do about it.”

Another resident of the building, Bertha Lopez,  said her daughter remained in their apartment, where the 15-year-old girl said  she heard  gunfire and sound of people running in the building. “I told her to lock herself in the bathroom,” said Lopez after a brief phone conversation with her daughter.

Several hours later, at Sunset Boulevard and Marion Avenue, more than a dozen people pressed against the police tape as they waited to return to their homes.  Alejandro Mares was riding a Metro bus on Sunset Boulevard when it was stopped by police and its passengers ordered to get off only about a half block from his home. “I have medicines at home that I have taken. I have not eaten dinner, ” said Mares, who could see but could not walk to his home beyond police lines.

A woman named Adija was left stranded with her groceries and her dog, Nina, after they were unable to get home after a trip to the market. “I have groceries in my car. Nothing is going to go bad – unless we are here until morning. “Please let us go home!”

About 30 minutes later,  residents cheered after a police officer said they could cross beyond the yellow caution tape and go home.

*Update at 11:24 PM: Sunset was still blocked off to vehicle traffic but some residents were being allowed to walk back to their homes.  One police officer said none of the suspects has been apprehended.

* Update at 8 PM: Sunset Boulevard remains blocked off, with a line of fire trucks, squad cars and other emergency vehicles parked on Sunset Boulevard near Marion Street. Officer Herrera said the two victims were employees of the clinic and were shot during a robbery.

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