Shooter, colleague die in office gunfire

LOS ANGELES — Police were trying to learn Saturday what motivated a partner in a law firm to shoot two of his colleagues before turning the gun on himself.

Officers arrived at an office building in Long Beach on Friday to find the gunman and one victim dead and learned that the second victim had gone to a hospital, according to investigators.

The shooter was identified Saturday as John Mendoza, 58, of Redondo Beach. He shot the two men before killing himself, police said.

Major Langer, 75, of Rolling Hills was shot in the upper body and died at the scene.

A friend told the Long Beach Press-Telegram that the wounded man was another partner in the firm, Ronald Beck, who was driven to the hospital by his son. The 68-year-old injured man was shot in the torso and lower body, police said. He remained hospitalized in stable condition and was expected to survive.

“Several employees were in the office at the time of the shooting, however, no other injuries were reported,” according to the police statement. “A motive for the shooting remains under investigation.”

A gun was recovered from the scene.

Basieleus Zeno, who videotaped employees running from the building, told KCBS-TV that he heard screams but thought they were from people enjoying a holiday party at the office.

But it became clear that the half-dozen workers streaming from the law office, which is in the wealthy neighborhood of Bixby Knolls, were fleeing.

“The woman was saying ‘They’re shooting inside. They’re shooting inside,” Zeno said.