Three Slain, Two Wounded By Gunman In Los Angeles Suburb
A man shot and killed three members of the same family Wednesday in a Los Angeles suburb, police said. The gunman wounded two other members of the family as he opened fire at their residence and their nearby business. He is at large.
The attacks were connected, reports the Associated Press. The incident occurred around 11 a.m. local time in Downey, Calif., which is about 20 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles.
At the business, called United States Fire Protection Services, a man and woman were fatally shot. At the home of the owner of the business, a woman was found dead. Two other relatives were shot and are currently in critical but stable condition at a nearby hospital. One of the victims was a 13-year-old boy, reports the AP.
Police are still investigating how all the victims are related. Another child in the family was at school at the time. Police were called to the scene by two separate 911 calls, one from the 13-year-old victim at the house and the other from at the business by another victim.
According to Downey police Lt. Dean Milligan, the police don't believe the killer to be a former employee, a friend of the family, or a former friend of the family, reports the AP. Police are unsure of the motive but do not believe the shooting was a random act as both the business and home are connected and all the victims were related.
The police are currently reviewing surveillance footage from nearby business reports the Los Angeles Times blog L.A. Now. The police are looking for a black male who is approximately 30-years old, around six feet tall and weighs around 230 pounds. The man had carjacked a 2010 black Chevy Camaro and fled the scene in the car.
According to the AP, the killer used the car to bring the 13-year-old boy and a woman from the business to the home. No witnesses have come forward and police have only been able to talk to the 13-year-old victim about the shooting.
The neighborhood is considered relatively safe and according to Blanca Parker, a co-owner of a copier business nearby, "The Coke plant has cameras everywhere, so everyone figured nothing bad would ever happen over here," reports L.A. Now. The police are reporting that there appears to be no sign of forced entry in either location nor was anything taken from the home or business.
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