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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Teen girl grabs deputy’s gun, fatally shoots herself in lobby of LA County sheriff’s station, officials say

The sheriff’s station in City of Industry was the site of a fatal shooting Sunday night, officials say.   (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times/TNS)
By Keri Blakinger Los Angeles Times

LOS ANGELES – A girl in her late teens died in the lobby of a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department station late Sunday after, officials say, she got hold of a deputy’s gun and shot herself.

The department has not released the girl’s name, and officials said late Sunday it was unclear how she was able to take the deputy’s weapon.

The incident happened around 7:40 p.m., when the teen started knocking on the front door of the sheriff’s station at 150 N. Hudson Ave. in City of Industry, according to a news release.

Officials said she banged on glass. When deputies walked to the door, she “lunged” into the lobby and reached for a deputy’s holstered gun, the Sheriff’s Department said.

Then, the girl allegedly got into “some kind of altercation” with a deputy, took the deputy’s gun and used it to kill herself, officials said.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department responded to the scene and pronounced her dead.

Authorities said the incident may have stemmed from a family disturbance nearby.

No deputies were injured, officials said. It was not immediately clear whether anyone else was in the lobby at the time.

The incident is under investigation.