Gunman in fatal Reseda shooting is war veteran with PTSD, police say
A man who forced his way into a Reseda apartment Friday night and shot its two occupants -- one fatally -- is a 32-year-old Iraq war veteran who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, Los Angeles police said.
For reasons still unclear to investigators, Ricardo Javier Tapia, 32, of Reseda forced his way into an apartment in the 7500 block of Canby Avenue about 6:40 p.m. Friday armed with a handgun, according to police.
Police said he shot a man and woman inside, killing the man and critically wounding the woman. The Los Angeles County coroner did not identify the man, pending notification of next of kin.
Neighbors who heard the shooting called 911, and responding officers found Tapia still inside the building, bleeding from his arms and hands and “acting irrationally,” according to an LAPD statement.
A witness told CBS Los Angeles that Tapia was shouting things about terrorism, President Obama and Hitler.
Police took Tapia into custody. He is being held in lieu of $1 million bail, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department records.
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Twitter: @josephserna
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