Police: California shooting suspect knew victims
ORANGE, Calif. — The gunman who killed four people and critically wounded a fifth at a Southern California office building knew all of the victims and apparently before opening fire chained shut the gates to two entrances, delaying police from getting inside, authorities said Thursday.
Among the victims of the “horrific massacre” Wednesday afternoon was a 9-year-old boy found cradled in the arms of a woman believed to be his mother, Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said.
The woman was the only survivor among those shot. The others killed were a man and two women.
“Our hearts today go out to the victims, and I’m here to tell you that we’re going to do everything in our power in the Orange County District Attorney’s office to get justice for these families,” said Spitzer, who added that he’ll consider seeking the death penalty.
The violence in the city of Orange was the third major mass shooting in just over two weeks. Last week a gunman opened fire at a supermarket in Boulder, Colo., and killed 10. A week before that, six Asian women were among eight people killed at three Atlanta-area spas.
The suspect in the California shooting was identified as Aminadab Gaxiola Gonzalez, 44, of nearby Fullerton. He was critically wounded, and it was unclear whether he suffered a self-inflicted wound or was shot by police.
The victims hadn’t been publicly identified as of Thursday afternoon.