Four people have been killed, including a child, in a shooting at a California office complex late Wednesday, police said.
A suspect is in custody after officers in the city of Orange responded to reports of a shooting at a multi-tenant business center only to be confronted by live gunfire as they arrived to find several victims. The suspect, who has not yet been identified, was wounded in a gunfight with police and subsequently transported to a local hospital, police Lt. Jennifer Amat was quoted telling The Orange County Register.
In addition to the four victims, one other person apart from the shooter was injured. No details were immediately available on the circumstances of the shooting or the identity of the suspect.
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The two-story building where the violence unfolded reportedly housed an insurance agent and a counseling service, among other businesses. As the area teemed with investigators in the aftermath of the bloodshed late Wednesday, several people waited anxiously outside to learn the fate of loved ones who had been inside the complex, according to the Register.
One man was reportedly hoping to get in touch with his fiance, who worked inside, while another had grown worried about his brother and niece after noticing that his brother’s business on the second floor was the only one with the lights on.
The incident comes on the heels of two weeks of devastating mass shootings, with eight people killed after a gunman opened fire at three Atlanta-area massage parlors and ten killed in a rampage at a Boulder supermarket.
Rep. Katie Porter issued a statement about the latest violence: “I’m deeply saddened by reports of a mass shooting in Orange County, and I’m continuing to keep victims and their loved ones in my thoughts as we continue to learn more. My team and I will continue to monitor the situation closely.”