Gunman wounded after firing shots in Lawndale SWAT standoff

ByOwen Michael, Melissa MacBride and Leo Stallworth KABC logo
Thursday, October 30, 2014
Lawndale SWAT standoff: Gunman wounded after firing shots
A suspected gunman barricaded in a house in Lawndale fired multiple shots before being wounded by gunfire by L.A. County Sheriff's SWAT deputies outside the residence Wednesday afternoon.

LAWNDALE, Calif. (KABC) -- A suspected gunman barricaded in a house in Lawndale fired multiple shots before being wounded by gunfire by L.A. County Sheriff's SWAT deputies outside the residence Wednesday afternoon.

Shots were fired at the scene of a standoff with an L.A. County Sheriff's SWAT team on the 4200 block of 164th Street in Lawndale between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. Multiple shots were fired by the gunman, identified as 23-year-old Travis Herr, who came in and out of the house to shoot, according to the sheriff's department. The suspect is a resident of the house, the department said.

Herr had multiple weapons and fired shots at deputies, surrounding residents, houses and vehicles, according to sheriff's spokeswoman Nicole Nishida.

Herr was seen walking around the side of the residence with a long gun at approximately 2:14 p.m. He was then struck at least once by gunfire and fell to the ground. SWAT officers entered the side passageway and brought the suspect out to the front of the residence, where he was loaded onto a stretcher.

Herr was treated by firefighters on an adjoining street, loaded into an ambulance and transported to a local hospital. His condition was later reported as stable, Nishida told Eyewitness News. He remained in stable condition Wednesday night.

Herr was charged with attempted murder of a peace officer.

No deputies were injured.

The initial incident was reported at 1:04 p.m. It was not immediately known what prompted the standoff.

City News Service reported that Nicole Nishida of the Sheriff's Department said the suspect died. Nishida later told Eyewitness News the shooter is "not dead," his "condition unknown." According to CNS, Nishida said she was initially told the suspect had died following a deputy-involved shooting. The suspect was later confirmed to be in stable condition.

Some evacuations were in effect in the 2 p.m. hour, but details were not released. At 3 p.m. the sheriff's department Special Enforcement Bureau tweeted that the area was safe.

The public was asked to stay away from the area during the incident and some evacuations were ordered.

North- and southbound off-ramps from the 405 Freeway to Hawthorne Boulevard were closed during the standoff.

Preliminary information indicates that South Los Angeles Sheriff's Station had previously received numerous calls for service at Herr's residence, the department said.

The investigation was ongoing.