USA TODAY International Edition
‘ Horrific massacre’ in Calif. kills 4
A suspect locked the doors at an office building near Los Angeles and started shooting, killing four people, including a 9- year- old boy. “It appears that a little boy died in his mother’s arms,” a district attorney says.
A targeted attack that left four dead, including a 9- year- old boy, at a Southern California office building marked the third time in less than three weeks the country has been rocked by a mass shooting.
Police say the suspect in the Wednesday evening massacre knew his victims and locked gated entryways into the office suite in Orange, about 30 miles south of Los Angeles, before opening fire. Victims were found in various areas of the building, including the boy, who was found in the arms of a woman believed to be his mother, officials said.
The Orange Police Department started getting calls about a shooting around 5: 30 p. m. local time. When they responded, they found that both entrances to a gated courtyard entryway had been locked with a bicycle cable lock, Lt. Jen Amat said Thursday.
The locks prevented officers from quickly entering the building while they continued to hear gunshots, Amat said. From outside the gate, officers opened fire at the suspect. A bolt cutter was brought to the scene and allowed police to scour the building, where they found the suspect had been shot. He was in critical but stable condition at a local hospital.
It was unclear whether the suspect’s gunshot wounds were self- inflicted or from police, Amat said.
Police identified the suspect as Aminadab Gaxiola Gonzalez, 44. He knew each of the victims, Amat said, adding the boy who died in the attack was the son of one of the victims.
“It appears all of the adults were connected either by business or a personal relationships,” Amat said. “This was not a random act of violence.”
Four people – a man, two women and the boy – were found dead. Another woman believed to be the boy’s mother was in the hospital in critical condition, police said.
Amat said the suspect made his way through the building, killing a woman in an outdoor landing, a man in an office building and a woman in a separate office building, all owned as a suite by Unified Homes, a mobile- home broker.
“It appears that a little boy died in his mother’s arms as she was trying to save him during this horrific massacre,” Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said Thursday. “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.”
Spitzer said his office was still investigating the circumstances of the shooting and determining what charges would be filed. .
Amat said one firearm was recovered from the scene, a semi- automatic handgun. Police did not reveal when the gun was purchased or whether the suspect had obtained it legally. A backpack was found that contained pepper spray, handcuffs and ammunition.
Police also did not say what the relationships were with the victims. Police had not identified the dead and were still working to notify families and loved ones.