A Los Angeles jury has acquitted Gene Evin Atkins of first-degree murder charges related to the 2018 death of Mely Corado, a 27-year-old assistant manager at a Silver Lake Trader Joe’s supermarket who was killed by police gunfire during a shootout. The jury remained deadlocked on second-degree murder charges, with ten jurors voting to convict and two voting to acquit.
The incident unfolded on a chaotic day in 2018 when Atkins shot his grandmother Mary Madison and girlfriend Leah Williams at close range in their home. Madison, who had raised Atkins since he was seven years old, survived the shooting but spent the remainder of her life in a wheelchair before passing away in 2024. Williams also survived the attack.
After the shootings, Atkins forced Williams into his grandmother’s vehicle and fled the scene. Police located him approximately ninety minutes later, leading to a high-speed chase through Los Angeles. During the pursuit, Atkins fired his weapon through the rear windshield of the vehicle and attempted to carjack a family at a gas station.
The chase ended when Atkins crashed the stolen vehicle into a utility pole near the Trader Joe’s store. He then exchanged gunfire with pursuing officers before running into the supermarket. During this exchange, a police bullet struck and killed Corado, who was working at the store.
Following the shooting, Atkins barricaded himself inside the store, taking dozens of employees and customers hostage in a tense standoff that eventually ended with his surrender. While Atkins was cleared of the murder charge related to Corado’s death, the jury convicted him on numerous other counts, including attempted murder, assault on peace officers, kidnapping, grand theft, and false imprisonment.
Prosecutors had pursued the murder charge under the legal theory that Corado’s death was a natural and foreseeable consequence of Atkins firing at police officers. The district attorney’s office had previously determined that the two officers who returned fire acted lawfully in self-defense and defense of others, choosing not to pursue charges against them.
The city of Los Angeles paid Corado’s family $9.5 million to settle a wrongful death lawsuit stemming from the incident. During the trial, defense attorney Errol Cook argued that responsibility for Corado’s death lay with law enforcement rather than his client, stating that criminal conduct should not result in what he characterized as extreme reckless behavior by police.
Prosecutor Ben Schwartz countered that the tragic outcome was the result of a chain reaction initiated by Atkins’ destructive actions. He argued that when someone fires at police from a crowded store in broad daylight, it should come as no surprise when innocent people are harmed.
During the trial, Williams testified about the morning of the incident, describing how she woke up in Atkins’ bed without remembering how she arrived there. She recalled him making disturbing statements, including threats that if he couldn’t have her, no one could.
Atkins had initially entered a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity in 2019, making statements in court claiming he was sent by Jesus and describing himself as a prophet. However, he was found mentally competent to stand trial in 2021. Throughout the proceedings, Atkins frequently refused to leave his jail cell to attend court sessions, and his attorney presented no opening statement and called no witnesses during the trial.
The case highlights ongoing debates about police use of force and the legal responsibility for deaths that occur during violent confrontations with law enforcement.
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