Police arrested a customer who intentionally drove into a CarMax dealership in Inglewood on Saturday afternoon and injured eight people, leaving two in critical condition.
The Los Angeles Police Department said a call came in at 2:03 p.m. for reports of a disturbance with a customer at the CarMax in the 8600 block of La Cienega Boulevard.
CarMax said the customer was having his vehicle appraised, and officials did not immediately provide further details on the disturbance.
According to LAPD, the customer then left the building, got into his car and drove into the dealership, injuring several employees and other customers.
The driver then tried to flee, but LAPD quickly detained and arrested him at a nearby location. Police said the suspect is now in the custody of Inglewood PD.
Officials did not immediately reveal the suspect’s identity.
L.A. County Fire said the incident was mistakenly reported to their department as an active shooter.
However, upon arriving at the dealership around 2:10 p.m., crews upgraded the call type to a “vehicle into a structure” and requested additional resources.
Two of the eight total patients were critically injured and taken to the hospital, the others had minor injuries and were treated at the scene, according to LACFD.
LAPD said the injured individuals were in stable condition as of 5:45 p.m.
“This afternoon, a customer drove through our Inglewood, California store, hitting and injuring several associates and customers who are receiving care at the hospital at this time,” CarMax said in a statement on Saturday evening.
CarMax said it is implementing a plan of action and is working with authorities on the investigation.
“We appreciate the authorities’ swift response to this terrible event. As this is an ongoing investigation, please direct any questions to the authorities at this time,” said CarMax. “The safety of our associates, community and customers is our top priority. We are deeply saddened by this event and our hearts go out to everyone impacted.”
