Ep 24. Live to Tell: Standoff at Trader Joe's

On July 21, 2018, a gun battle erupted inside a Trader Joe's store in Silver Lake, Los Angeles. An armed man named Gene Atkins held dozens of people hostage inside the store for over three hours. In the chaos that followed, store employee Melyda Corado was tragically shot and killed by police gunfire.

For this episode of 48 Hours, correspondent Erin Moriarty interviews several survivors of the Trader Joe's hostage situation. These include store manager Michael Paley, cashier Zacharias Aranda, customer MaryLinda Moss, and LAPD officer Sinlen Tse.

Through their accounts, viewers gain a harrowing understanding of what it was like to be held captive by Atkins, who had entered the store after being pursued by police for a shooting earlier that day. Paley and Aranda describe how Atkins walked into the store with a gun and immediately began shooting, killing Corado and injuring several others. Moss recounts how she was trapped inside the store's bathroom with several other customers while gunfire erupted around them.

The standoff between Atkins, police, and the hostages lasted for hours, with Atkins ultimately surrendering and being taken into custody. During this time, Tse and her fellow officers worked to evacuate the store and safely rescue those inside, even as they were under fire from Atkins.

But the aftermath of the situation was complicated. While Atkins was clearly responsible for the violence that occurred, questions were raised about the use of force by the LAPD officers who fired upon him - particularly in light of the fact that their bullets also struck and killed Corado. The episode explores these questions and the impact that the standoff had on those who survived it.

In addition to interviews with those directly involved in the events, 48 Hours also features footage from the scene of the Trader Joe's hostage situation, as well as recordings of police radio chatter from that day. The episode provides a powerful and emotional look at a tragic event that shook Los Angeles and the nation as a whole.