An eyewitness claimed that a Venice, Calif., hotel owner told an unidentified gunman to "kill that n—ger" just before the assailant fired into a group of homeless people early Sunday, killing one and injuring one more, KCAL-TV reports.
The deceased victim was identified as Jascent Jamal Lee Warren, 26. Another man, believed to be in his 20s, was shot in the leg and treated at a hospital. Authorities arrested an unidentified suspect later Sunday morning on suspicion of murder. He is currently being held on $1 million bail.
A witness told the news station that the owner of the Cadillac Hotel was with the gunman before the shooting. Authorities have not confirmed witness testimony but do believe that the shooting stemmed from a disagreement that arose because people were sleeping in front of the hotel, which they had been asked not to do.
"It appears now, at this time, that this incident was triggered by some sort of altercation here on the boardwalk between locals which escalated into a violent encounter, with someone brandishing a handgun and committing this deadly crime," LAPD Sgt. Barry Montgomery told the news station.
Warren was described by those who knew him as a "good and kind" person who advocated for the homeless.
"I was petrified because that was basically [a] fellow homeless activist. He was a humanitarian," Mariah Magomedova, who lived on the streets with Warren for the past few months, told the news station.
The hotel owner was reportedly also injured in the incident by several homeless men who beat him after the shooting, a witness said.
Read more at KCAL-TV.