The sneaker game can get ugly and over-competitive, but it should never get fatal. Unfortunately, that’s what happened on Wednesday afternoon at Shoe Palace in Los Angeles, California when a fight over a sneaker raffle resulted in the loss of someone’s life. Jayren Bradford, a Shoe Palace employee, was shot and killed while trying to de-escalate the heated argument.
According to KTLA5, Bradford was just arriving to work around 12:30 pm when he noticed the tense situation in front of the store. Witnesses attest that Bradford had approached the group of men and women arguing in front of Shoe Palace and asked them, “What’s the problem? What’s the deal?” However, the crowd’s energy shifted, and someone ended up pulling out a gun and fatally shooting Bradford.
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Keyshawn Williams, one of Bradford’s colleagues at Shoe Palace, spoke to KTLA5 about his fallen co-work dreams and ambitions prior to his tragic death, saying that he had lived down the street from the store and was reportedly working at Shoe Palace while pursuing his dream of becoming a musician.
According to KTLA5, police are describing the suspect as a “Latino man in his early 20s with short hair,” and they have revealed that the suspect was last seen driving off in a dark-colored sedan, possibly a Toyota Camry. Stay tuned for more updates, and check out a video of the news coverage below.
RIP, Jayren Bradford.