Early Morning Spree Killing in OC Follows Ladera Ranch Carjacking

We’re making the national news again, multiple murder department.  Here’s some excerpts of the AP report via The Huffington Post about a killing spree from 5:30 to 5:55 a.m. this morning.

A chaotic 25-minute shooting spree through Orange County early Tuesday left a trail of dead and injured victims before the shooter stopped and killed himself, police said.

The shootings started with an apparent carjacking just after 5 a.m. Tuesday in an unincorporated Ladera Ranch area of Orange County, said Tustin police Supervisor Dave Kanoti.

Officers found one dead person and one wounded at State Route 55 and McFadden Street, two shot and wounded at Interstate 5 and Red Hill Avenue, and one dead at Del Amo Boulevard and Edinger Avenue. The alleged shooter then drove to the intersection of Wanda Road and Katella Avenue and shot himself in the middle of the intersection, Kanoti said.

Wall at Ladera Ranch

I’m out of good illustrations. Condolences to residents of Ladera Ranch and others touched by this.

 

One person was reportedly killed in the initial carjacking.

People are welcome to include updates below over the course of the day (and beyond).

Our condolences to the loved ones of the victims, who have not yet been identified.  For now, therefore, that potentially includes all of us.

The soul-sickness is spreading.  What are we going to do about it?  Not just all over the country — here.

Update, 2:40 p.m.:  HuffPo reports that the killer was Ali Syed, was a 20-year-old, unemployed, part-time student who lived at the Ladera Ranch residence where the first victim was slain.  As noted in a comment below, the OC Weekly has reported that that house at 5 Red Leaf Lane is owned by Irfan and Sarwat Syed, the latter of whom is reportedly 42.

From the HuffPo story:

Orange County sheriff’s spokesman Jim Amormino said the woman killed at the home was in her 20s. She was not identified and is not related to the shooter, he said.

Jordan said Syed stated to one carjacking victim: “I don’t want to hurt you. I killed somebody. Today is my last day.”

The violence began at 4:45 a.m., when deputies responded to a call in Ladera Ranch, a sleepy inland town about 55 miles southeast of Los Angeles. They found the woman shot multiple times.

Jason Glass, who lives across the street, said he couldn’t sleep and was watching TV in his garage with the door partly open when he heard what sounded like gun shots.

According to Glass, a man and three children were escorted out of the house at some point after the shooting.  It is not clear how the police were able to ascertain that the unidentified victim was unrelated to Ali Syed.


About Greg Diamond

Somewhat verbose attorney, semi-disabled and semi-retired, residing in northwest Brea. Occasionally ran for office against jerks who otherwise would have gonr unopposed. Got 45% of the vote against Bob Huff for State Senate in 2012; Josh Newman then won the seat in 2016. In 2014 became the first attorney to challenge OCDA Tony Rackauckas since 2002; Todd Spitzer then won that seat in 2018. Every time he's run against some rotten incumbent, the *next* person to challenge them wins! He's OK with that. Corrupt party hacks hate him. He's OK with that too. He does advise some local campaigns informally and (so far) without compensation. (If that last bit changes, he will declare the interest.) His daughter is a professional campaign treasurer. He doesn't usually know whom she and her firm represent. Whether they do so never influences his endorsements or coverage. (He does have his own strong opinions.) But when he does check campaign finance forms, he is often happily surprised to learn that good candidates he respects often DO hire her firm. (Maybe bad ones are scared off by his relationship with her, but they needn't be.)