Child struck in Orange shooting died in arms of woman trying to save him, authorities say
Much is still unknown about the mass shooting that left four people dead Wednesday night in Orange.
But new details from authorities paint what one official described as a “horrific” series of events, including the fate of a 9-year-old boy who was one of the victims.
Here is what we know:
The attack
The gunman came to the business, Unified Families, inside a two-story office park on Lincoln Avenue with a semiautomatic handgun as well as handcuffs and pepper spray, police said. He also had bicycle locks, which he used to secure the two gates leading into the complex.
Orange police search for a motive after a mass shooting leaves 4 dead and a woman injured.
At some point, the gunman opened fire at the business. Police received multiple calls but when they got to the scene, officers could not get into the complex because of the locks.
The officers fired on the gunman from outside the complex, and he was critically wounded. They were able to cut through the locks and found the victims inside.
Two victims were in the courtyard, including the 9-year-old boy and a woman who had also been shot and was taken to a hospital, where she remains in critical condition. The 9-year-old is believed to be the son of one of the victims who worked at the business, but it was not immediately clear which one.
Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said it appeared that the boy died in the arms of a woman who “was trying to save him.”
Mass shooting stuns quiet Orange neighborhood: ‘I couldn’t believe it’
Jennifer Amat, spokeswoman for the Orange Police Department, said the bodies of three others were inside: one man was found inside an office, one woman upstairs on an outdoor landing and one woman inside a separate office suite.
“The new details issued by our Police Department this morning are horrifying and sickening,” Orange Councilmember Arianna Barrios said.
The victims and suspect
Authorities did not release the names of the victims.
The shooting occurred inside Unified Homes, and the gunman and the victims were connected through business and personal ties. Wednesday’s attack was not random, they said.
Unified Homes is described on its Facebook page as “a leader in Orange County real estate and manufactured home sales since first opening our doors in 2006 ... Our team of agents are driven to satisfy our clients, whether you are selling property for maximum return or buying your dream home. We apply the principles on which we were founded to every transaction: honesty, the highest standards of service, and a caring approach to your needs.”
Four people were killed Wednesday evening in Orange in a shooting, police said.
Maria Reynoso, an agent at Unified Homes, said through tears Thursday that she didn’t want to speak to anyone.
Police identified the suspect as Aminadab Gaxiola Gonzalez, a 44-year-old Fullerton man.
What is next?
Both Gonzalez and one woman remain in critical condition at a hospital.
Authorities say the investigation is in its early stages and did not offer a motive for the attack beyond the “business and personal relationship” that appears to connect the adults.
“It is a horrible, horrible tragedy that Mr. Gonzalez made a decision to use deadly force to deal with issues he was dealing with in his life. So he will suffer and face the consequences,” Spitzer said.
Gonzalez has not yet been charged; Spitzer said his officer is determining whether to seek the death penalty if charges are filed.
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