Man sentenced to 200 years to life for deadly shooting at Silver Lake Trader Joe’s

LOS ANGELES (KESQ) - A man who engaged in a gunfight with Los Angeles police outside a Trader Joe's store in Silver Lake after a pursuit and crash, leading to a store assistant manager being fatally shot by an officer, was sentenced today to more than 200 years to life in state prison.

Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Lisa B. Lench noted "how many lives were changed forever'' as a result of Gene Evin Atkins' behavior, saying she was ordering him to serve his sentences consecutively because they involved separate victims and at times "wholly separate conduct.''  

Atkins' defense attorney, Errol Cook, told the judge that his client "apologizes for his conduct, apologizes for his actions in this case.'' But he urged her to impose a lesser sentence in which Atkins would still "be held accountable'' for what the attorney called "aberrant behavior.''
   Atkins did not speak on his own behalf during his sentencing.   

The 36-year-old defendant was convicted of 41 counts, including second- degree murder, for the July 21, 2018, crime spree that included the shooting death of 27-year-old assistant store manager Melyda "Mely'' Maricela Corado by police during the gunbattle with Atkins, along with Atkins shooting and wounding his 76-year-old grandmother and a 17-year-old girl at a South Los Angeles home the same day.   

In June, a jury found him guilty of 40 counts, including 24 counts of false imprisonment of a hostage involving Trader Joe's employees and customers, three counts of attempted murder and four counts of assault with a firearm on an officer.

That jury acquitted him of the most serious charge of first-degree murder and deadlocked 10-2 in favor of guilt on second-degree murder involving Corado, resulting in a retrial in which a second jury found him guilty Aug. 18 of second-degree murder and found true allegations that he personally used and
discharged a firearm during the crime.

The victim's father, Albert Corado, told the defendant, "You ripped my heart in two.''

He noted that Atkins will have ``plenty of time'' to think about what he did.   

Deputy District Attorney Ben Schwartz also read a statement from one of the Trader Joe's customers in the store, who wrote that she suffered "debilitating trauma'' and that Atkins "must be held accountable at the maximum level.''   

The prosecutor said he believed there should be ``some consequence'' for Atkins involving each of his victims, saying that Officer Sinlen Tse -- who fired the shot that killed the young woman -- will never get over what happened that day.

In his closing argument in the retrial, Schwartz said, "But for his (the defendant's) actions, she (Melyda) would be alive. ... It doesn't get any more dangerous than that."  

The deputy district attorney noted that the officers and those near the Trader Joe's saw Atkins get out of the blue Toyota Camry and immediately fire at police after crashing his grandmother's vehicle near the store, saying that an expert also concluded that Atkins had fired first at the officers.

Atkins surrendered at about 6:30 p.m. that day, just over three hours after he ran inside the busy store.   

The prosecutor said the defendant had also fired at officers in two separate rounds of gunfire without police firing back as they chased him after being informed that he was being sought in his grandmother's shooting earlier that day.

Atkins had also opened fire on a teenage girl who had been in his bedroom before he shot his grandmother at the woman's South Los Angeles home, then fled from police with the injured teen in his grandmother's car, Deputy District Attorney Ani Bailey had told jurors in the first trial.

Atkins' lawyer urged jurors in the retrial to acquit his client of murder, while acknowledging that the woman's death was "an enormous tragedy.''   

"... He did not kill Ms. Corado,'' Cook said.

Atkins' attorney told jurors to set their anger aside and not to "transfer the blame.''

Cook acknowledged that his client had committed crimes, caused chaos and "terrified people,'' but added that a gunbattle with police at the store's entrance/exit doors was "not a natural and probable consequence'' of his actions.   

In a statement released shortly after Atkins' murder conviction, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said, "This defendant tried to kill two innocent people, engaged in a gun battle with police and held dozens of terrified people hostage, all of which led to the tragic death of Melyda Corado.''   

Then-Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore confirmed in 2018 that the bullet that killed Corado was fired by an officer -- not by Atkins.   

Bailey noted that Atkins was charged with murder for Corado's shooting under the ``provocative act'' theory, telling jurors in his first trial that his actions ``caused a lethal danger,'' resulting in the woman's "tragic'' death.

At a December 2018 court appearance, Atkins told a judge he had "no criminal record, but I have an extensive mental health record,'' including a diagnosis of "bipolar disorder and a list of other disorders as well.''   At another court hearing in February 2019, Atkins said he was "sent here by Jesus'' and didn't understand anything.   

"God bless you, sir,'' he repeatedly told a judge, later adding that "I was sent here by Jesus'' and that he was a "prophet.''   

He was found mentally competent to stand trial in 2021.   

Relatives of Corado filed a wrongful death and negligence suit in November 2018 against the city and the officers that eventually resulted in what attorneys said was a $9.5 million settlement.

The Los Angeles police officer who fired the shot that accidentally killed Corado said in a sworn declaration that he had no choice but to open fire to protect himself, his partner and bystanders.

"I had no alternative but to fire my weapon at Gene Atkins in order to stop this deadly threat that he, himself, had created,'' Tse said in his sworn statement. "I fired based upon his actions and stopped when I realized he was moving into the Trader Joe's entrance to avoid striking individuals
inside."  

In a 2020 memorandum, the District Attorney's Office found that Tse and his partner, Officer Sarah Winans, were "justified in using deadly force in an attempt to stop'' the suspect.

"After the crash, Atkins immediately exited the Camry and fired his handgun three times at Tse and Winans as he ran into the Trader Joe's,'' according to the memorandum from the District Attorney's Office.   

"Tse and Winans returned fire in an attempt to stop Atkins from trying to injure or kill them or civilians in the Trader Joe's. Atkins showed no consideration for the lives of others and it was reasonable and lawful for Tse and Winans to use deadly force to protect themselves and the public.''

The District Attorney's Office noted that "no bystanders were visible'' behind Atkins or in the line of fire when the officers fired at the suspect, with the evidence suggesting that Corado was "accidentally struck by gunfire when she ran toward the front doors'' of the store after the vehicle crash.  

"Neither I nor Officer Winans fired any additional shots due to the concern regarding the patrons inside Trader Joe's, demonstrating one of several instances where Officer Winans and I showed restraint, control and reverence for human life,'' Tse said.

Tse said he never considered pursuing Atkins inside the market, saying that would have only put more patrons and employees in danger "due to the poor decisions Gene Atkins was making and the fact he had no regard for human life, except for his own.''

Tse said he learned later that one of the five shots he fired proved to be the one that mistakenly killed Corado. Atkins did "absolutely nothing'' to help Corado for nearly 20 minutes despite knowing she was injured, Tse said.   

In her declaration, Winans said there came a point where Atkins posed as much of a deadly threat to the Trader Joe's patrons as he did to her and Tse.

"No longer could I avoid the unfortunate need to fire my weapon to stop Gene Atkins' deadly actions, but I also was forced into this situation based upon the deadly actions that Gene Atkins had demonstrated he was capable of engaging in,'' said Winans, who fired three shots.

"My heart goes out to her family for their tragic loss,'' Tse said.  

Following the settlement with the city, Corado's family issued a statement through their attorneys, saying: "Nothing will bring Mely back to us and we are forever heartbroken by her violent death caused by those who are meant to protect and serve the community. We will keep her memory alive always. We hope this settlement sends a loud message to LAPD and all law enforcement agencies across the country that officers must account for their surroundings when firing their guns.''

Outside court after the sentencing, the victim's father told reporters that the sentence was "not enough."  

"He ruined too many lives,'' Albert Corado said.