2 Die in Midday Shooting in Westminster

Gunmen who apparently barged into a house in the middle of the day Tuesday fatally shot two men in the head and then escaped, bringing to six the number of shootings in the city in the past several days, police said.

When police arrived at the house in the 6000 block of Bannock Road, one of the men was found on the floor just inside the door, and the other was on a couch in the living room. Both had been shot in the head, Officer Robin Kapp said.

Jerry Lee Skillman, 35, died shortly afterward at Western Medical Center-Santa Ana. The other victim, Steven Frances Rita, 28, died more than four hours later at UCI Medical Center in Orange, a hospital spokeswoman said.

Police said neighbors heard the shots at about 12:20 p.m. and then saw two men leave the house in a red pickup truck.

“They were laughing and holding a bag,” a neighbor said.

The pickup had a large, extended cab and dual rear wheels, police said. It was new and still had paper license plates.

Kapp said detectives are trying to determine the motive for the shooting.

One of the gunmen is described as stocky, about 5 feet, 8 inches tall and weighing 180 to 200 pounds. The other is described as about six feet tall and weighing 175 pounds, with a dark complexion, said Westminster Sgt. Mike Schliskey.

Neighbors said Skillman lived at the home with his mother and brothers. Police said Rita lived nearby.

The shootings come during a particularly violent week in Westminster.

A 52-year-old man was shot and wounded in the driveway of his home and several other people escaped injury in four unrelated shootings which occurred in a period from about 10 p.m. Sunday until about 6:15 a.m. Monday.

“It’s been an active 48-hour period,” Schliskey said. “This isn’t normal for us to have this much activity in such a short amount of time. It’s very coincidental.”