Latasha Harlins was a 15-year-old girl who was shot and killed at Empire Liquor in Los Angeles on March 16, 1991. Latasha entered the store to buy a $1.79 bottle of orange juice; she reportedly held $2 in her hand when the store owner, 49-year-old Soon Ja Du, confronted her on suspicion of shoplifting. The encounter turned physical, and Du retrieved a handgun and shot Latasha in the back of the head as she tried to leave.

Security camera footage from the store was presented at trial and was reported to contradict Du’s claim that she acted in self-defense. Du was arrested, charged with voluntary manslaughter, and in November 1991 was found guilty. Judge Joyce Karlin imposed a ten-year prison sentence but suspended it; Du was placed on five years’ probation, ordered to perform 400 hours of community service, fined $500, and required to pay Latasha’s funeral expenses. The case drew widespread criticism for the light sentence and is cited as a flashpoint in the racial tensions preceding the 1992 Los Angeles riots.

Does anyone have recollections or additional verified details about the day at Empire Liquor or Latasha’s life that could help keep her story accurate?