Hollywood shootout: Police kill gunman in Los Angeles

A gunman firing at cars in Hollywood was fatally shot Friday by Los Angeles police.

December 9, 2011

 A gunman who fired at cars and shouted "kill me" was shot to death Friday by police after wounding a driver in the heart of Hollywood, authorities and a witness reported.

The unidentified man was pronounced dead at the scene. No officers were hurt, Los Angeles police Officer Cleon Joseph said.

Witness Oscar Herrera told KABC-TV that he saw the gunman walking down the middle of Vine Street near Sunset Boulevard, firing at least nine shots into the air and at passing cars.

"People were running all over," Herrera said. "People was ducking."

The driver of a Mercedes-Benz was wounded and taken to a hospital in unknown condition. A truck and another car were stuck with bullets.

The Los Angeles Times reported that civilian bystanders saw the man firing and hailed down two police officers working on a nearby movie set, according to a source.

The gunman eventually ran out of bullets and pulled a knife before a policeman shot four or five times at the attacker, Herrera said.

Investigators were trying to determine a motive for the attack, which came a day after a gunman took his own life at Virginia Tech.

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