Topline: A Los Angeles jury convicted Gene Atkins of murder after finding his 2018 rampage set off the gun battle that ended with a Trader Joe’s manager killed by police gunfire.
Published: August 21, 2026 10:04 pm ET
Randy Shaw
I cut my teeth in journalism when I began looking into what I saw as abuses of power in my local government. From then on, I was hooked on the dopamine rush of uncovering information.
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Gene Atkins appears in court. (via
FOX 11 Los Angeles
on YouTube)
LOS ANGELES, CA — A Los Angeles County jury has convicted Gene Atkins of murder in the 2018 death of Trader Joe’s assistant manager Melyda “Mely” Maricela Corado, finding that his violent rampage and shootout with police set in motion the gunfire that killed her inside a Silver Lake store.
According to the Los Angeles Times, jurors returned the verdict Tuesday after Atkins had already been acquitted of first-degree murder in an earlier trial and after a jury deadlocked on second-degree murder. He was separately convicted in June on dozens of assault, attempted murder and hostage-taking charges, and prosecutors argued he was legally responsible for Corado’s death under California’s provocative act theory because his actions created the deadly confrontation.
The case began when Atkins shot two people, took one of them hostage and tore across Los Angeles while running red lights, crashing into multiple vehicles and firing at officers, the Times reported. The chase ended outside the Trader Joe’s, where Atkins crashed his grandmother’s blue Toyota Camry near the store, exchanged gunfire with police and was wounded as shoppers and employees were still inside.
Corado, 27, was hiding in the crowded store when an LAPD round entered the building and killed her. The officers involved were later cleared of criminal wrongdoing, an internal LAPD investigation found they acted within policy, and city officials have never identified which officer they believe fired the fatal shot. Corado’s father and brother later settled their lawsuit against the city for $9.5 million.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
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Gene Atkins Convicted in Death of Trader Joe’s Manager Killed by LAPD Bullet
A Los Angeles jury convicted Gene Atkins of murder after finding his 2018 rampage set off the gun battle that ended with a Trader Joe’s manager killed by police gunfire.
By Randy Shaw
Published: August 21, 2026 10:04 pm ET
Gene Atkins appears in court. (via
FOX 11 Los Angeles
on YouTube)
LOS ANGELES, CA — A Los Angeles County jury has convicted Gene Atkins of murder in the 2018 death of Trader Joe’s assistant manager Melyda “Mely” Maricela Corado, finding that his violent rampage and shootout with police set in motion the gunfire that killed her inside a Silver Lake store.
According to the Los Angeles Times, jurors returned the verdict Tuesday after Atkins had already been acquitted of first-degree murder in an earlier trial and after a jury deadlocked on second-degree murder. He was separately convicted in June on dozens of assault, attempted murder and hostage-taking charges, and prosecutors argued he was legally responsible for Corado’s death under California’s provocative act theory because his actions created the deadly confrontation.
The case began when Atkins shot two people, took one of them hostage and tore across Los Angeles while running red lights, crashing into multiple vehicles and firing at officers, the Times reported. The chase ended outside the Trader Joe’s, where Atkins crashed his grandmother’s blue Toyota Camry near the store, exchanged gunfire with police and was wounded as shoppers and employees were still inside.
Corado, 27, was hiding in the crowded store when an LAPD round entered the building and killed her. The officers involved were later cleared of criminal wrongdoing, an internal LAPD investigation found they acted within policy, and city officials have never identified which officer they believe fired the fatal shot. Corado’s father and brother later settled their lawsuit against the city for $9.5 million.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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Editor Picks
Latest Articles
Gene Atkins Convicted in Death of Trader Joe’s Manager Killed by LAPD Bullet
A Los Angeles jury convicted Gene Atkins of murder after finding his 2018 rampage set off the gun battle that ended with a Trader Joe’s manager killed by police gunfire.
By Randy Shaw
Published: August 21, 2026 10:04 pm ET
Gene Atkins appears in court. (via
FOX 11 Los Angeles
on YouTube)
LOS ANGELES, CA — A Los Angeles County jury has convicted Gene Atkins of murder in the 2018 death of Trader Joe’s assistant manager Melyda “Mely” Maricela Corado, finding that his violent rampage and shootout with police set in motion the gunfire that killed her inside a Silver Lake store.
According to the Los Angeles Times, jurors returned the verdict Tuesday after Atkins had already been acquitted of first-degree murder in an earlier trial and after a jury deadlocked on second-degree murder. He was separately convicted in June on dozens of assault, attempted murder and hostage-taking charges, and prosecutors argued he was legally responsible for Corado’s death under California’s provocative act theory because his actions created the deadly confrontation.
The case began when Atkins shot two people, took one of them hostage and tore across Los Angeles while running red lights, crashing into multiple vehicles and firing at officers, the Times reported. The chase ended outside the Trader Joe’s, where Atkins crashed his grandmother’s blue Toyota Camry near the store, exchanged gunfire with police and was wounded as shoppers and employees were still inside.
Corado, 27, was hiding in the crowded store when an LAPD round entered the building and killed her. The officers involved were later cleared of criminal wrongdoing, an internal LAPD investigation found they acted within policy, and city officials have never identified which officer they believe fired the fatal shot. Corado’s father and brother later settled their lawsuit against the city for $9.5 million.
Presumption of Innocence: A presumption of innocence means that any defendant in a criminal trial is presumed to be innocent until they have been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The defendant in this case is only accused of the charges set forth in the criminal complaint. They are innocent until proven guilty.
Editor's Note: ThePo makes every effort to accurately transcribe the contents of affidavits of probable cause contained in criminal complaints. Often, the complaints themselves are copies of copies of faxed copies, and are difficult to read. To confirm the accuracy of our transcription, contact the Magisterial District Court listed above and request a copy of the criminal complaint. It's a public record to which you are entitled.
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