14-Year-Old Girl Accidentally Killed By LAPD Officer In Store Shooting

A 14-year-old girl has died after she was hit by a stray bullet in a clothing store's dressing room in California. The bullet was from the firearm of a Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officer who was trying to shoot at an armed male suspect.

Officers with LAPD responded to a report of an assault with a deadly weapon at a Burlington store in the North Hollywood section of Los Angeles around 11.45 a.m. Thursday. While on their way to the scene, officers received another call about shots being fired, ABC News reported.

According to witnesses at the scene, the male suspect threatened to throw things from the upper floor of the store. He then assaulted a woman on a bicycle.

Once at the store, the officers "encountered an individual who was in the process of assaulting another, and an officer-involved shooting occurred," LAPD Capt. Stacy Spell was quoted as saying by the outlet.

The officers eventually shot the suspect, who was then declared dead at the scene. A heavy metal cable lock was found near him.

However, police later noticed a bullet hole in the drywall of a store, behind which the suspect had stood. The officers went to check what was behind the wall and learned that it was a dressing room. Inside of it, they discovered the body of the teen.

"We went behind it (the wall), and it turned out to be a dressing room up there… We were able to locate a 14-year-old female who was found deceased in that dressing room," LAPD Assistant Chief Dominic Choi told KCBS-TV.

It is unclear if the teen went into the dressing room to take cover or if she was already inside when the shooting began. Authorities did not reveal the identity of the girl and the suspect involved in the shooting.

"This chaotic incident resulting in the death of an innocent child is tragic and devastating for everyone involved," Police Chief Michel Moore said Thursday, AP News reported. "I am profoundly sorry for the loss of this young girl's life and I know there are no words that can relieve the unimaginable pain for the family."

As for the woman assaulted by the suspect, she sustained moderate to serious injuries to her head, arms and face. She was taken to a nearby hospital, according to the outlet.

The California Department of Justice is investigating the incident.