String of Crimes End with Hostage Situation in Downtown LA Apartments

An intense situation unfolded in downtown Los Angeles in a series of crimes that ended in gunfire at an apartment complex Friday night.

An armed man pointed a gun at a person walking by on the street and fired but the weapon did not go off, according to police.

The man then proceeded to try and rob a family inside a business, shooting at them and injuring a 14-year-old-boy, police said.

Later at the intersection of Main and 6th Street, the man allegedly took at least one person hostage in a barricaded situation that ended in gunfire.

The Los Angeles Police Department responded to the scene at around 4:10 p.m. at the 500 block of South Main Street to reports of a shooting. 

Chilling cellphone video obtained by NBC4 shot from directly across Main Street shows a man pacing back and forth inside an apartment. 

At first it appears he’s by himself but then he is seen holding a woman hostage, pointing a weapon at the back of her head. 

The flashbang from SWAT on the other side of the door was heard from blocks away.

Then a second flashbang is heard, followed by gunshots.

It’s not clear whether the man was shot by police or turned the gun on himself. 

Detectives say the man somehow got into the Santa Fe lofts, barricading himself and taking in hostages.

Detectives say the first call of trouble came out as an assault with a deadly weapon, what followed was a series of violent incidents ending with an intense barricade.

The woman who was held hostage as well as the 14-year-old boy are expected to be ok.