Melvin Lawrence Sanders, 34, of Los Angeles, was fatally shot near 1365 S. Broadway in Downtown Los Angeles on December 8, 2019. The killing occurred in the early morning hours and Sanders was pronounced dead at the scene. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner classified the death as a homicide.

The Los Angeles Police Department opened an investigation. Early challenges included a lack of eyewitnesses and limited physical evidence. LAPD appealed to the public for information, distributed flyers, and offered a reward while detectives worked through surveillance footage and forensic leads that investigators said began to point toward a suspect believed to have had a prior altercation with Sanders.

If anyone knew Melvin Sanders, saw activity near 1365 S. Broadway on December 8, 2019, or has information that could help the investigation, please come forward.