Gunman opens fire in Seal Beach hair salon killing eight
Suspect arrested
SEAL BEACH, Calif.—Gunfire erupted this afternoon at a hair salon in Seal Beach, leaving eight people dead, one critically wounded and the alleged gunman in custody, police said.
The shooting occurred about 1:20 p.m. at Salon Meritage, located in a shopping center at 500 Pacific Coast Highway.
Six people were found dead throughout the salon, Seal Beach police Sgt. Steve Bowles said.
Three other people—two men and a 73-year-old woman—were taken to Long Beach Memorial Medical Center, where two of them subsequently died, he said.
One of the officers who responded to the shots-fired call spotted the suspect leaving the parking lot, Bowles said. Within minutes, the unidentified man was arrested without incident about a half-mile from the salon, the sergeant said, describing the man as cooperative.
“We feel very confident we have the single and only suspect in custody,” Bowles said.
Bowles said investigators were working to determine a motive, and were unsure if the suspect had any connection to the salon.
A former salon employee, Lidia Sosa, told reporters that the suspect, who she identified as “Scott,” shot and killed his ex-wife. The two were embroiled in a custody battle, according to Sosa, who went to the crime scene when she heard the news.
Police could not immediately confirm that information.
The salon owner was among those killed in the attack, Sosa said.
“The only thing I can tell you is (he) is in heaven tonight,” she said.
Bowles said victims were found “throughout the entire salon,” and“there are survivors from inside the salon that escaped without harm.”
“It appears that the salon was busy at the time and it appears almost every hair station, if you will, was occupied,” he said.
One of the critically wounded survivors was found outside the salon in the parking lot, Bowles said, while the rest of the victims were located inside the business.
A weapon was recovered when the suspect was arrested, Bowles said, adding that the suspect apparently told the officers he had other weapons in his vehicle.
Anyone concerned that a loved one was shot was encouraged to call Seal Beach police at (562) 799-4100, Bowles said.
“Our primary mission now is to support these families,” he said.
Bowles noted that the city has logged multiple years of “zero homicides. So obviously this is an unusual and tragic situation,” he said.
SANTA ANA, Calif.—Scott Evans Dekraai, 41, of Huntington Beach, is accused of walking into a Seal Beach beauty salon while wearing body armor and gunning down his ex-wife and seven other people was charged today with eight counts of murder.
Dekraai faces the death penalty if convicted, according to Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas.
COMPTON, Calif.—Bail was set at $3 million today for a 15-year-old boy charged as an adult in a June 4 shooting that killed a 14-month-old boy and wounded his father in Watts.
Donald Ray Dokins made his initial court appearance this afternoon but did not enter a plea. His arraignment was postponed to July 16 in Compton Superior Court.
Dokins faces one count of murder stemming from Angel Cortez’s slaying and one count of attempted murder for allegedly shooting the boy’s father, Mauro, in the shoulder.
LANCASTER, Calif.—A man was killed and a woman was wounded in a shooting in Lancaster, sheriff’s officials announced today.
The shooting occurred at 9:06 p.m. Thursday in the 44000 block of Beech Avenue, said Los Angeles County sheriff’s Deputy Guillermina Saldana.
“The victim and the suspect were arguing with each other when the suspect produced a handgun and fatally shot the victim multiple times in the upper torso,” Saldana said in a statement.
A man whose call to police falsely claiming he was robbed by two gunmen led to the fatal officer-involved shooting of a 19-year-old man in Pasadena. The caller Oscar Carrillo, 26, remained jailed Thursday, March 29, after his arrest on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter.
Two officers shot and killed Kendrec Lavelle McDade when they saw him running shortly after 11 p.m. Saturday on Sunset Avenue near Orange Grove Boulevard.
HOLLYWOOD, Calif.—Police shot and killed a suspect who was firing at vehicles in Hollywood, and at least one other person was wounded.
Officers were sent to the area of Sunset Boulevard and Vine Street about 10:20 a.m., said Los Angeles Police Officer Cleon Joseph of the Media Relations office. The suspect, who was not immediately identified, died at the scene.
