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Pasadena man charged with murder in shooting deaths of 3

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A Pasadena man was charged Tuesday with three counts of murder for allegedly killing three people and injuring two others in a weekend shooting, officials said.

John Izeal Smith, 44, was charged with three counts of murder with the special circumstance of multiple murders and the special allegation that he personally and intentionally discharged a rifle.

He also was charged with three counts of attempted murder, including the attempted murder of a police officer.

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Smith is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court in Pasadena. Prosecutors will ask that he be held without bail, the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office said.

Smith allegedly shot and killed Luis Fernando, 90, inside a home in the 1700 block of Summit Avenue. His daughter, Maria Teresa Aguiar, 59, was gunned down after fleeing from the home, officials said.

Jose Hernandez Iribe, 31, a neighbor whom police described as a good Samaritan, ran toward the gunfire, presumably to assist the wounded. Smith then pointed the gun at Iribe, fatally wounding him. Authorities said Smith fired more than 40 rounds.

After the shootings, Smith barricaded himself in a home and phoned the Police Department’s communication center. He spoke with an emergency services operator for 20 minutes before surrendering to SWAT officers.

Pasadena police said on Monday that a motive for the shooting remains under investigation but that a landlord-tenant dispute and a long-term relationship between the shooter and his victims appear to be emerging themes.

Prosecutors will decide later whether to seek the death penalty, the district attorney’s office said.

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For breaking news in Los Angeles and the Southland, follow@debbietruong or email her at debbie.truong@latimes.com.

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