A 41-year-old suspect was arrested Tuesday and charged with murder for allegedly killing his female roommate at an apartment building at 6533 Hollywood Blvd.

Officers and firefighters responded to the Hudson Apartments around 3 a.m. after receiving a report of shots being fired at the location. According to Lt. Robert Binder, with the Los Angeles Police Department’s Hollywood Division, firefighters arrived first and found the female victim lying in a hallway on the third floor of the building, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. The victim, who was not identified, was taken out of the building and later pronounced dead at the scene. Police determined that the victim was a resident of the building, and forced entry into her apartment, where they were confronted by the suspect, Paul Matthew Allee.

A resident at the Hudson Apartments in the 6500 block of Hollywood Boulevard allegedly murdered his roomate Tuesday morning. (photo by Edwin Folven)

Allee had barricaded himself in the apartment and refused to come out, so a S.W.A.T. Unit was called in to oversee negotiations. A three-hour standoff ensued, and around 7 a.m., S.W.A.T. officers forced their way inside the apartment and used a Taser to subdue Allee. He was treated for minor injuries and booked into custody at the Hollywood Division.

Binder said the motive for the murder is not known, and that the suspect had no prior criminal history. The victim’s name was withheld because of the ongoing investigation, Binder added, but she was 33 years old. Binder also said it was unclear what the status of the relationship was between Allee and the victim, other than they were living together. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office described the victim as Allee’s fiancée.

“He is the only one who can tell us what led up to this, and he has refused to give an interview,” Binder said. “All we know is he was a guy in a relationship with a gal, and something happened that led to him shooting her.”

Binder said officers recovered a handgun in the apartment that is believed to be the murder weapon. He said the Hudson Apartments were evacuated for the duration of the standoff, and Hollywood Boulevard was closed for approximately four hours between Cahuenga Boulevard and Highland Avenue.

Binder added that he did not have any further information about Allee, who has been transferred to the Los Angeles County Jail and is being held on $1 million bail. He has been charged with murder, with the special allegation that he used a firearm that resulted in the death of the victim. He was scheduled to be  arraigned today, Jan. 6, in Los Angeles Superior Court.