San Bernardino police release surveillance video of suspect in fatal shooting

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (KABC) -- San Bernardino police are searching for a suspect who allegedly gunned down a 22-year-old man following an argument inside a liquor store involving the victim's mother.

The shooting occurred outside an apartment complex up the street from the Superior Liquor & Grocery store in the 2900 block of Del Rosa Avenue on Oct. 13.

Surveillance video captures the suspect walking out of the liquor store. As he leaves, he exchanges words with the victim, later identified as 22-year-old Lorenzo Battle.

Police said the suspect made said some kind of comment about Battle's mother.

"I don't know what exactly the words were, something to the effect of 'what's up with that blue hair?'" Lt. Rich Lawhead said.

That's when the argument allegedly began.

"Nothing physical or anything else, obviously loud exchanged words and then they exit the store," Lawhead adds.

The suspect and Battle and his mother both leave, but Lawhead says the incident doesn't end there.

Police say the suspect, who may have had two other people in the car with him, followed Battle up the street to an apartment complex, and then opened fire, killing him.

A memorial now sits in the middle of the dirt field where Battle collapsed and died. Investigators say the shooting is gang related.

"It's like a lot of our senseless shootings. We're talking about arguing over a color, we're talking about arguing over a location, something that I see and I think most people see as pretty petty," Lawhead said.

The suspect's getaway car was described as a gray, newer-model Nissan. Anyone with information about the suspect captured in the surveillance footage is asked to contact the San Bernardino Police Department.