Fashion Island shooting suspect due in court

A Garden Grove man who police said fired about 50 shots into the air and at the ground in a Fashion Island parking lot is expected in court Tuesday, jail records show.

Marcos Gurrola, 42, was arrested Saturday by Newport Beach bicycle officers patrolling the open air mall as part of the Newport Beach Police Department’s Operation Safe Holidays, according to department spokeswoman Kathy Lowe.

Operation Safe Holidays begins in late November and runs through December, and the number of officers patrolling depends on the day of the week and activity levels, Lowe said.

The Irvine Co., which owns Fashion Island, would not provide details on its mall safety procedures or level of security staffing during the holidays, citing the ongoing police investigation.

“We are thankful no one was hurt in Saturday’s incident, and want to commend the Newport Beach Police Department, the center’s staff, merchants and guests for their responsible handling of the situation,” company spokesman Michael Lyster wrote in a prepared statement.

Lyster wrote that the company will continue to work with police in their investigation.

The center, he wrote, is expected to be open as usual for a “busy holiday shopping week.”

Police have said Gurrola used a semi-automatic handgun to fire about 50 shots into the air and at the ground, but would not say more about the make and model of the gun used or the exact number of casings found at the scene.

Several patrons reported being locked in stores after shots rang out, many running away from the sound of gunfire. One person suffered minor injuries during the commotion, police said, but no one was hurt by the gunfire.

Gurrola is being held in Orange County jail in lieu of $250,000 bail, jail records show.

lauren.williams@latimes.com and jill.cowan@latimes.com

Twitter: @lawilliams30 and @jillcowan