A Los Angeles man was convicted Tuesday of murder for the 2018 fatal shooting of a Trader Joe’s manager during a chaotic police shootout and hostage standoff at the Silver Lake grocery store.
Gene Evin Atkins, 36, was found guilty of one count of second-degree murder after jurors deliberated for less than a day.
Atkins was being retried on the murder charge after a previous jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office said Atkins faces life in state prison when he is sentenced Aug. 24.
The case stems from July 21, 2018, when Atkins became involved in an argument with his grandmother before opening fire. He struck his grandmother and his girlfriend during the shooting.
Atkins then fled in a vehicle, leading police on a pursuit through Los Angeles.
At one point during the pursuit, prosecutors said Atkins attempted to carjack another person at a gas station but was unsuccessful.
The pursuit continued until Atkins crashed near a Trader Joe’s store in Silver Lake.
After the collision, Atkins ran into the store while firing a weapon at police officers.
WHAT THE EVIDENCE SHOWS
Once inside the Trader Joe’s, Atkins became involved in a prolonged gun battle with police.
During the confrontation, Trader Joe’s manager Melyda Corado, 27, was fatally shot.
The standoff continued for more than three hours, during which Atkins held more than two dozen shoppers hostage inside the store.
Police eventually arrested Atkins, bringing the lengthy confrontation to an end.
The murder conviction came after Atkins had already been convicted in June on numerous other charges related to the incident.
Those convictions included three counts of attempted murder, six counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm and 24 counts of false imprisonment of a hostage.
He was also convicted of two counts each of attempted carjacking and mayhem.
Additional convictions included assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury, fleeing a pursuing peace officer’s vehicle and driving or taking a vehicle without consent.
The District Attorney’s Office said the case was prosecuted by Benjamin Schwartz of the Major Crimes Division and Ani Bailey of the Target Crimes Division.
The Los Angeles Police Department investigated the case.
THE BIGGER QUESTION
The conviction brings a legal conclusion to the murder charge stemming from one of Los Angeles’ most widely remembered hostage incidents.
The 2018 confrontation drew extensive attention because a routine shopping location became the scene of a prolonged armed standoff involving police, shoppers and employees.
For the family and loved ones of Corado, the conviction provides a formal finding of criminal responsibility for her death after the first jury failed to reach a verdict on the murder count.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman strongly criticized Atkins' conduct, arguing that the deadly sequence of events was the direct result of his actions.
“This defendant tried to kill two innocent people, engaged in a gun battle with police and held dozens of terrified people hostage,” Hochman said.
Hochman added that Corado “would still be alive if not for the defendant’s deadly and reckless actions.”
A skeptical view is that the circumstances surrounding Corado’s death occurred during an extraordinarily chaotic exchange of gunfire involving Atkins and police, making the precise circumstances of the fatal shooting an important part of the legal proceedings. While jurors have now found Atkins guilty of second-degree murder, the first jury's inability to reach a verdict on that specific count demonstrates that the murder allegation previously presented a disputed factual and legal question. The conviction following the retrial represents the jury's latest determination based on the evidence presented in court.
ATKINS' OTHER CONVICTIONS
The murder conviction is only one part of the extensive criminal case against Atkins.
In June, a separate jury found him guilty of multiple offenses connected to the 2018 incident.
Those convictions included:
- Three counts of attempted murder
- Six counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm
- 24 counts of false imprisonment of a hostage
- Two counts of attempted carjacking
- Two counts of mayhem
- Assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury
- Fleeing a pursuing peace officer’s vehicle
- Driving or taking a vehicle without consent
Together, the convictions reflect the broad scope of the incident, which began with violence involving family members, continued into a police pursuit and ultimately ended with a hostage situation inside a crowded grocery store.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
Atkins is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 24.
The District Attorney’s Office said he faces life in prison.
The sentencing will formally determine the punishment following his conviction on the murder count and the numerous other offenses for which he was convicted in June.
The case remains a significant example of the risks created when an armed suspect fleeing police enters a crowded public location.
For Corado's family, the sentencing will mark another major step in the long-running criminal case that began with her death in 2018.
WHAT WE STILL DON'T KNOW
- What exact sentence will Atkins receive at the Aug. 24 hearing?
- How will his murder conviction affect the sentence for his other convictions?
- What additional arguments will prosecutors and defense attorneys present at sentencing?
- Will Atkins appeal the murder conviction or other convictions?
- What further details from the 2018 investigation could emerge through future court proceedings?
Case Information
Case: BA469832 Defendant: Gene Evin Atkins Murder victim: Melyda Corado, 27 Location: Trader Joe’s, Silver Lake, Los Angeles Incident date: July 21, 2018 Conviction: Second-degree murder Sentencing: Aug. 24, 2026 Prosecution: Benjamin Schwartz and Ani Bailey Investigation: Los Angeles Police Department