Nerses Galstyan and the 2010 Valley Village Restaurant Massacre
Overview
On April 3, 2010, Nerses Arthur Galstyan carried out a mass shooting inside the Hot Spot Mediterranean Restaurant at 11651 Riverside Drive in Valley Village, a neighborhood in Los Angeles, California. Galstyan, who was 28 years old at the time, fired more than 50 rounds during the attack, killing four men and seriously wounding two others.
The victims and Galstyan had gathered at the restaurant for a memorial honoring a friend who had died in a traffic accident approximately one year earlier. What began as a social gathering among friends and acquaintances ended in a sudden eruption of gunfire following an argument inside the restaurant.
The Memorial Gathering
During the afternoon of April 3, several members of the local Armenian community assembled inside the Hot Spot Mediterranean Restaurant. The event was intended to remember a deceased friend and reportedly included food, conversation, and drinking.
Galstyan was seated at a table with his brother, Samuel Galstyan, and several of the men who would later become victims. Witness testimony and evidence presented in court indicated that tension developed between Galstyan and some of the other guests.
Investigators later said Galstyan believed that certain men in the group had repeatedly humiliated him and forced him to perform menial tasks. The precise nature of the dispute remained contested during the criminal trial, but the confrontation escalated into a verbal argument.
The Shooting
After the argument, Galstyan briefly left the restaurant and went to his vehicle. He retrieved a firearm, returned to the crowded dining area, and opened fire on the men seated inside.
Galstyan discharged more than 50 rounds. Ballistics evidence later showed that approximately 30 bullets struck the six people he targeted. Prosecutors said several of the victims were shot repeatedly while Galstyan stood over them.
One victim was struck approximately ten times, including wounds to the chest and the back of the head. The concentrated gunfire left furniture, walls, and portions of the restaurant damaged as customers and employees attempted to escape or take cover.
Four men died from their injuries. Two additional men survived but suffered serious wounds. Galstyan fled the restaurant following the shooting and was captured on surveillance footage leaving the scene.
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