Two deputies opened fire inside a Maplewood Street home after responding to a medical emergency and encountering a man with a handgun.
BELLFLOWER, CA — Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies fatally shot an armed man Sunday inside a Bellflower home where an elderly woman was found dead, authorities said, leaving investigators to determine what happened inside the residence before deputies arrived.
Deputies and Los Angeles County Fire Department personnel responded around 1 p.m. Sept. 27 to the 9500 block of Maplewood Street after a neighbor called 911 about an unresponsive person inside the home, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Authorities said the neighbor had gone to check on the residence and saw a woman through a window. Deputies entered the home after seeing the woman and began searching for other possible victims.
Los Angeles County sheriff’s Lt. Michael Modica said the woman, who was in her 80s, appeared to be in medical distress and was in a large pool of blood. Deputies forced their way into the residence to try to provide aid and conduct a protective sweep, authorities said. The nature of the woman’s injuries and her cause of death had not been determined publicly as of early Monday.
During the search, deputies encountered a man in his early 50s who was armed with a handgun, according to the Sheriff’s Department. Two deputies fired their weapons, striking the man. Fire Department personnel pronounced both the man and woman dead at the scene. Authorities had not publicly released either person’s identity.
A handgun was recovered near the man, investigators said. Modica said authorities had not determined whether the man fired at deputies during the encounter. Investigators said the weapon appeared to have been fired inside the residence, but they had not publicly established when it was fired, what it was fired at or whether the gun was connected to the woman’s death.
Neither of the deputies who fired was injured. The circumstances that caused them to open fire remain part of the investigation. Early reports contained differing information about whether the armed man fired at deputies, but later statements from sheriff’s officials said investigators had not yet determined whether he did so.
Investigators believe the man and woman knew each other, but their relationship had not been publicly established. Authorities also had not confirmed whether both people lived at the Maplewood Street home. Sheriff’s officials described the incident as isolated and said they did not believe it was a random act of violence.
The woman’s death and the deputy-involved shooting remain under investigation. Authorities have not said whether investigators believe the man was responsible for the woman’s injuries or death, and no motive has been announced. The identities of the two people and their causes of death remained pending as investigators continued gathering evidence and reviewing the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
Author note: Last updated Sept. 28, 2026.