Business owner shoots 3 would-be robbers, 2 fatally, in gunfire exchange in Downey

DOWNEY, Calif. (KABC) -- The owner of a car audio store in Downey shot three armed would-be robbers, two of them fatally, in a gunfire exchange on Monday evening, authorities said.

The shooting was reported about 8:15 p.m. in the 8800 block of Rosecrans Avenue, according to the Downey Police Department. Officers arrived to find two men dead inside First Class Car Audio.

"All I heard was gunshots -- about nine or 10 gunshots," said a man who declined to publicly be identified.

Another man said: "Everybody in the neighborhood thought it was fireworks. Nobody didn't really pay it no attention until we see the police and everything."

According to investigators, the third suspect had transported himself to a hospital and is expected to survive. He was being questioned by detectives on Tuesday.

"That's the store owner trying to protect his business," the second witness said. "He got a family and, you know, people trying to take away his business where he work hard for it. That's not right."

The owner of the business was not injured in the shootout. The two deceased men were not immediately identified.

A section of Rosecrans remained closed Tuesday morning as the investigation continued at the scene, where several weapons were recovered.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call police Detective Carlos Bejines at (562) 904-2334.