Woman tries to cut off CNN live shot from funeral of girl killed by stray LAPD bullet: ‘Kill it now’

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An unidentified woman tried to stop a CNN reporter from going live in the middle of a funeral for a 14-year-old girl killed by a stray bullet fired by a Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) official two days before Christmas.

The incident reportedly took place on Monday during the funeral for Valentina Orellana-Peralta that was attended by family friends, civil rights activists and community members.

A video of the incident shared by NPR journalist Frank Stoltze on Tuesday showed the woman, dressed in a black t-shirt and wearing a mask, asking the camera person to “kill it [the live broadcast] now”.

CNN journalist Gonzalo Alvarado can be seen in front of the camera with a microphone in hand preparing to go live.

“[CNN] did a Liveshot from inside the sanctuary during the funeral for Valentina Orellana Peralta today. Someone tried to stop them, to no avail,” tweeted Stoltze.

CNN told Mediaite in a statement that the media coordinator for the funeral had approved the location and the timing of the live shots, and that when the woman objected, the crew had stopped filming.

They then told her they were in the location where press was told to be and that the organiser was aware of the live shots.

According to the surveillance and body camera footage released by the LAPD, a 24-year-old suspect identified as Daniel Elena Lopez was attacking female shoppers inside the store on 23 December 2021.

Responding LAPD officers found the suspect in a store aisle, armed with a bike lock, attacking a woman lying on the bloody floor.

The officer holding the rifle fired three shots, killing Elena-Lopez. Almost immediately, a woman could be heard wailing nearby.

Peralta was shot and killed by a stray bullet in a clothing store dressing room when LAPD officials had fired at the suspect.

A bullet had ricocheted off the floor and hit Peralta after going through the wall of the dressing room she was in with her mother, police officials had said.

When Peralta was hit, her mother Soledad Peralta did not initially know what had happened, she had said.

“She died in my arms,” the mother added.

“I couldn’t do anything.”