Second trial of man whose rampage led to fatal police shooting ends in guilty verdict

A Los Angeles jury convicted Gene Atkins of second-degree murder in the death of Trader Joe's employee Melyda Corado, killed by a stray police bullet during Atkins' 2018 rampage. A first jury had already convicted Atkins of attempted murder, kidnapping and other counts but deadlocked 10-2 on the murder charge; prosecutors retried that count alone, at the request of Corado's father.

Atkins refused to attend his second trial, and his attorney called no witnesses, arguing in closing that Corado's death was 'a tragic mistake' not legally attributable to his client. Prosecutors argued Atkins could have surrendered instead of fleeing and shooting at police; the city previously paid Corado's family $9.5 million to settle a wrongful death suit, while the two officers who fired were found to have acted lawfully.

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