In the early hours of Sunday, May 3, 2026, the life of 35-year-old Amtrojosimar "Chato" Barrios was cut short by gunfire in the Florence-Firestone area of unincorporated Los Angeles County. A Latino male, Barrios was in the parking lot of a strip mall in the 1600 block of Firestone Boulevard when the shooting occurred at approximately 1:57 a.m. First responders pronounced him dead at the scene.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's office later confirmed that Barrios died from a gunshot wound to the torso and officially ruled his death a homicide.
The incident that claimed Barrios's life also left two other individuals wounded. While standing in the same parking lot, a 25-year-old man was also struck by the gunfire and was transported to a local hospital in stable condition. A stray bullet also hit a 27-year-old security guard who was on duty down the street from the primary location of the shooting. He was rushed to the hospital in critical condition. Authorities stated that the security guard was not an intended target of the attack.
In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, investigators from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's Homicide Bureau began their inquiry. However, details regarding a potential motive or the circumstances leading up to the shooting were not immediately released to the public. As of the initial reports, no information about a suspect or any involved vehicles has been made available, and no arrests have been announced in connection with the death of Amtrojosimar Barrios. The investigation remains ongoing, with law enforcement urging anyone with information to come forward. The case at this stage is an unsolved homicide, with the perpetrator or perpetrators remaining at large and the community awaiting answers.
