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Sword-Wielding Suspect Shot, Killed By Deputies At East LA School

EAST LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – A man wielding a sword was shot and killed by Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputies at an East L.A. school Wednesday morning, forcing the campus into lockdown.

Suspect Shot By Deputies Near East LA School
A suspect was shot by Los Angeles County deputies near Esteban Torres High School in East L.A. Nov. 13, 2019. (CBS2)

The shooting occurred at around 9 a.m. in the outdoor lunch area of the Esteban Torres High School campus, located at 4211 Dozier St.

Deputies had initially responded to a family disturbance for a suspect who had violated a restraining order against him at a home in the 900 block of North Miller Avenue, less than a half-mile from the school. They arrived on scene to find the suspect standing outside the home "holding a three-foot-long sword," Los Angeles County Sheriff's Lt. Brandon Dean said at a news briefing Wednesday afternoon.

The suspect then took off running, prompting a foot chase that wound its way to Torres High, where the suspect jumped a fence onto the campus. Deputies surrounded the man and ordered him to drop his sword and surrender. When he began to advance on deputies, they opened fire on him.

"At once point, the suspect advanced on one of the deputies wielding the sword in the air, and a deputy-involved shooting occurred," Dean said.

The man, who was not immediately identified, died at the scene. No deputies or students were hurt during the incident.

Veronica Rivera described the call she received from her daughter, who is a student at the school.

"When it happened, she said, 'Mom, there's a shooting going on inside the campus. I'm just running.' She's just running for her life because it happened so close," Rivera said. "So I said, 'just be safe, I'm on my way.'"

Suspect Shot By Deputies Near East LA School
A suspect was shot by Los Angeles County deputies near Esteban Torres High School in East L.A. Nov. 13, 2019. (LASD)

The high school remained on lockdown through 1 p.m. Children were being released to their parents or guardians at the gate located at Eastman Avenue and Hammel Street.

No nearby schools were locked down.

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