A California security guard is facing murder charges in a deadly shooting after getting in a fight with a customer who wasn't wearing a face mask, police say

• Umeir Hawkins, a security guard at a market in Gardena, California, has been charged with murder after fighting and fatally shooting a customer during an argument over face masks, the police department said in a Facebook post on Wednesday.
• He was charged in connection to the July 5 shooting death of 50-year-old Jerry Lewis.

• The Los Angeles County district attorney's office said in a statement that Lewis had walked into the market without a mask on, and an argument ensued between him and Hawkins. 

• The fight later turned physical, and as Lewis was walking away, Hawkins shot him, police said.
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

A security guard at a market in Southern California is facing murder charges after fighting with a customer who wasn't wearing a mask and later shooting him as he walked away, the Gardena Police Department said.

The police department said in a Facebook post on Wednesday that Umeir Hawkins, 38, was charged in connection to the July 5 shooting death of 50-year-old Jerry Lewis.

Before the shooting, Hawkins and Lewis had gotten into an argument outside the unnamed market in Gardena, California, as Lewis entered without wearing a mask, prosecutors from the Los Angeles County district attorney's office said in a statement.

Lewis left the store but returned shortly thereafter and fought with Hawkins, prosecutors said.

Police said that during the fight, Hawkins' wife, Sabrina Carter, who was in the parking lot waiting for Hawkins to get off work, tried to intervene by pointing a gun she was carrying at Lewis. As Lewis walked away, Hawkins pulled out his own gun and fatally shot him.

Hawkins is facing charges of murder and possession of a handgun by a felon. Carter was charged with one count of possession of a handgun by a felon.

Carter and Hawkins were charged as felons because they were convicted in 2013 of assault by means of force likely to produce great bodily injury, according to the statement from the Los Angeles County district attorney's office.

They both pleaded not guilty to charges connected to Lewis' death on Wednesday, according to CNN.

Hawkins is facing up to 50 years in prison if convicted, and Carter is facing up to three years.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: We tried Clinique's color-changing BB gel on three different skin tones