Man Suspected Of Killing Atwater Village Woman Dies After Shot By LAPD
A man who's suspected of killing a woman in her Atwater Village home, and was later shot by LAPD officers, has died.On Thursday, the L.A. County Corner's Office identified the suspect as 39-year old Carlos Joseph Wilhelm. LAPD officers were responding to a report of gunshots being fired in a home on the 4100 block of Willimet Street, and then shot Wilhelm after 12:20 p.m. on Wednesday. The L.A. Times reports that an LAPD helicopter circling over the scene saw Wilhelm out front with a rifle, and responding officers shot him after he "engaged" the officers.
Wilhelm was critically wounded and taken to a hospital. Inside the house police found 50-year Lorraine Gonzalez, who was declared dead at the scene, inside her own home. A spokesman for the Coroner's Office said Wilhelm died around midnight.
LAPD Lt. John Jenal told the Times that investigators do not believe it was a random attack, but are still trying to figure out the connection between Gonzalez and Wilhelm. KPCC says they had a "familial" connection.
This incident was the second fatal shooting by LAPD officers in less than 24 hours. On Tuesday afternoon, officers shot and killed 32-year old Florencio Chaidez of Panorama City, who officers say also had a gun.
This year, so far, the LAPD has shot 30 people, and 16 have died.