After an Oct. 29 altercation over the possession of a TASER, a man was shot and killed by Los Angeles police officers inside the locker room of a Hollywood 24 Hour Fitness health club.
Police were called to the Sunset Boulevard club around 8 a.m. after witnesses claimed an unidentified man in his 30s had refused to vacate the club's locker room and was arguing with security guards, according to a report by ABC 7. Two officers promptly arrived at the club and entered the locker room where an altercation allegedly occurred and ended with the man being shot and killed.
After the events, the Los Angeles Police Department tweeted the following: "During the altercation, the suspect took possession of one of the officer's TASERs. An officer-involved shooting then occurred, and the suspect was pronounced dead at scene. One officer sustained moderate injures, and was transported to a local hospital."
24 Hour Fitness' headquarters, based in San Ramon, California, is aware of the incident, according to an Oct. 30 statement provided to Club Industry.
"The safety of our members, team members and guests is a top priority for 24 Hour Fitness," the statement said. "We are working closely with local authorities. The club was closed temporarily and reopened on Tuesday, October 30th at 6:00 a.m. As this is an active investigation, we are unable to discuss details. We are referring all questions to the Los Angeles Police Department."
24 Hour Fitness did not directly respond to Club Industry's inquiry as to whether or not its employees undergo training for crime situations or active shooters.
"Everyone starts running and screaming 'active shooter,'" witness Brandon Lee told ABC 7. "I've got my headphones on, I'm thinking to myself, 'Is this really happening? Is there really an active shooter going on?' This girl runs up, gets in my face, says, 'Yo, we gotta run downstairs.'"
24 Hour Fitness ranked No. 3 on Club Industry's Top 100 Health Clubs of 2018 list, with an estimated $1.441 billion in 2017 revenue.