Robert Knight dies in fatal Los Angeles shooting

Robert Knight dies in fatal Los Angeles shooting

Fatal Los Angeles shooting death of Robert Knight

Los Angeles authorities reported on Tuesday the identification of an elderly man killed during a violent incident in Jefferson Park. The 89-year-old victim was Robert Knight, whose final moments involved a standoff between law enforcement and a suspect.

Around 1:10 p.m. on Saturday, officers were dispatched to West 23rd Street after receiving a report of a disturbance. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, they were informed that a person had been attacked by a suspect, later confirmed to be 40-year-old Andrew Smith, who was hiding inside a residence.

Upon their arrival, the officers found the elderly victim but encountered resistance when the suspect, Andrew Smith, immediately began firing at them. At least one officer returned fire in self-defense, though no injuries were reported among the responding officers or civilians at the scene.

The suspect, who was not hit during the initial exchange, retreated into the house. This prompted authorities to secure the area and request specialized tactical units for the extraction operation. A SWAT team arrived and, with the assistance of the Los Angeles Fire Department’s medical support unit, conducted a rescue mission.

The fire department personnel evacuated the victim to a secure location, where emergency medical services pronounced him deceased on the scene. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office officially identified the deceased as Robert Knight on Tuesday, but did not release the official cause of death at that time.

After several hours of negotiation, the standoff concluded around 9:15 p.m. when tactical officers breached the suspect’s location. Andrew Smith was located in a second-floor bedroom and taken into custody without further incidents. He was transported to a nearby hospital, where he was treated for multiple self-inflicted stab wounds. His condition was reported as critical but stable.

Throughout the incident, there were no reports of officers or other bystanders sustaining any injuries. The ongoing investigation continues to piece together the full sequence of events that led to the tragic outcome.