The investigation into whether the shootings were racially motivated comes amid a nationwide uptick in anti-Asian violence.
Violence against Asian Americans has risen in recent months across the country. In Los Angeles alone, police said there were 15 anti-Asian hate crimes reported in 2020, compared with seven in 2019. There were also nine hate “incidents” — bigoted encounters that don’t rise to the level of a crime — reported in 2020, compared with seven the previous year, police said.
The gunman shot at people in two other cars — hitting one man’s Tesla and missing the other car — before fleeing from Los Angeles police in a white Jeep.
The nearly three-hour pursuit ended in Fullerton, where police used a spike strip to puncture the Jeep’s tires, then surrounded the vehicle on the 91 Freeway about 3:20 a.m.
After officers attempted to negotiate with the man, Moore said, he opened fire through his windshield.
A SWAT officer shot back and killed him, Moore said.
Times staff writer Kevin Rector contributed to this report.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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