IHOP Restaurant Shooting
Driver's license photograph of Eduardo Sencion, who has been identified as the gunman in the IHOP restaurant shooting in Carson City, Nev. Reuters

In a shocking incident, three people were killed in Nevada after a gunman shot a group of five uniformed National Guard members who were eating breakfast at an IHOP restaurant on Tuesday.

The gunman, who was later identified as Eduardo Sencion, killed himself. But his firing claimed three lives, including those of two National Guardsmen.

The shooter's motive was unclear, but relatives indicated that he had mental issues. Interestingly, the Sencion had no records of criminal history.

Meanwhile, authorities said Sencion didn't specifically target National Guard members as one of the victims was a civilian woman.

The weapon used by Sencion, aged 32, in the shooting was described as a variant of an AK-47 assault rifle. The fact that five of the 11 people shot were soldiers was a cause for concern, said Carson City Sheriff Kenneth Furlong.

Our thoughts are with the victims and families of the senseless shooting at our restaurant in Carson City, NV. Details of this tragic situation are still unfolding and we are waiting to learn more. We have offered our assistance to federal and local law enforcement, and are grateful to the emergency responders assisting on the scene. We will keep you advised as we learn more, IHOP said in a statement.

The shooting happened in a strip mall on U.S. 395, which is the main highway through Carson City, the capital of Nevada. Sencion drove into the parking lot around 9 a.m. in a blue minivan and shot a man on a motorcycle before going inside and shooting more people. Then he went back outside and fired into two other businesses in the strip mall: Locals Barbecue and an H&R Block branch.

Meanwhile, Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval has ordered flags to half-staff until Friday at dusk in honor of the two National Guardsmen who were killed. Details on the victims will be released by the National Guard.

Mayor Crowell and I wish to extend our sympathies to the victims of today's tragedy and their families, said Sandoval. The Mayor and I also want to assure all Nevadans and especially residents of Carson City that everything is being done to ensure the public's safety. All authorities on the local, state and federal level are cooperating effectively and appropriately.

Nevada has the fifth most gun deaths per capita in the U.S. The Legal Community Against Violence, a public interest law center that advocates for gun control, ranks it No. 18 out of the 50 states in enacting laws to prevent gun violence.