Hawthorne burger joint shooting leaves Lawndale father of 4 dead

HAWTHORNE, Calif. - A Southern California family was left heartbroken and searching for answers after an off-duty security guard was fatally shot in the stomach in the parking lot of a Hawthorne burger restaurant.

Authorities said the victim got into a fight with the suspect in the parking lot of Fabulous Charbroiled Burgers in the 3300 block of W. Rosecrans Avenue, near the intersection of Crenshaw Boulevard, just before 2 a.m. Wednesday. 

Investigators called the incident a "senseless shooting." 

Family members identified the victim as Eddie McAllister, of Lawndale. They said he stopped to get something to eat after getting off work as an unarmed security guard at the time of the shooting.

"Everybody loves him wherever he goes," the victim’s daughter, Emani McAllister, told FOX 11. 

Family members told FOX 11 that Eddie McAllister was the father of four children. 

Eddie McAllister pictured with his daughter, Emani McAllister.

Surveillance video from the restaurant shows both men throwing punches before they both fell to the ground. The video proceeds to show the suspect pulling out a gun and shooting McAllister. The suspect then drove away from the scene. 

A shooting outside a Hawthorne burger restaurant turned deadly overnight.

After reviewing surveillance footage and collecting evidence at the scene, investigators identified a possible suspect. He was tracked down at a nearby city where he was taken into custody without incident, Hawthorne PD officials announced. 

At this time, the suspect's name is not being released. Investigators do not believe the victim and the suspect knew each other.

Police are looking to identify the man who fatally shot an off-duty security guard in the stomach on Jan. 17, 2024.

Those with more information on the deadly shooting are asked to contact Hawthorne PD.