Eight people inside the salon and one person in the parking lot were shot, and only one victim survived. She was so unsuspecting that she at first thought it was an early Halloween prank. He was pronounced dead at a hospital. Related Items: 12 GA Shot Glasses Set,Great Drinking Glass Set (Black) $18.99. SEAL BEACH, CA Police activity was ongoing Friday morning on the 22 Freeway after a shooting and freeway chase through Seal Beach. He gunned down two of his sisters and their husbands before committing suicide:5 A firearm was recovered from the scene. He worked on tugboats after being discharged by the military and walked with a limp after a boat accident. The terrifying attack happened on Wednesday afternoon, the day after Dekraai is said to have been served a restraining order by his former wife Michelle Fournier after she won custody of their son Dominic, seven. We know each other and if you work in Seal Beach you know each other.. SEAL BEACH, Calif. (KABC) -- A man allegedly armed with a gun was shot and killed by police officers in Seal Beach. Victoria Buzzo, 54, who worked at the salon. Inside the salon, a woman who gave her name only as Cindy saying she was too shaken to use her full name was having her hair colored when the gunman entered. It (the shooting) is just not something youd imagine happening here, said Jeremy Gele, 54, who has lived in the area for more than a decade. On July 9, 1976 Allaway purchased a .22-caliber semi-automatic rifle from a Kmart in Buena Park. He then walked out of the salon and shot a ninth victim, a man, who was sitting nearby in a parked Range Rover. [18] A remodeled Salon Meritage reopened under the same name on November 18, 2012.[19]. As they walk through your door. Coworkers and customers of those killed speculated that the gunman may have been motivated by a long-running and bitter custody dispute with one of the stylists at Salon Meritage. Friends, neighbors and hair stylists from other salons also gathered to share the news and console each other. Investigators said the suspect's. It was the deadliest mass killing in Orange County history. This doesnt appear to be a random occurrence," said Seal Beach Lt. Julia Clasby. [17] A fund set up to aid victims of the shooting raised around $400,000. BOSTON (Reuters) - A sixth dead gray seal was found shot on a Cape Cod beach on Friday following similar cases in recent weeks, an animal welfare group said. At 65, Lucia Kondas was the oldest person killed at the salon. An officer-involved shooting occurred after police responded to a call of a suspicious person. The victims were: Sandy Fannin, co-owner of the salon and wife of Randy Fannin, was on the premises at the time of the shooting but survived unharmed by hiding at the back of the property.[24][34]. David Caouette was killed by a shot to the head as he sat in his Land Rover outside the salon. My soul you will have too." How something so terrible. Police said a firearm was recovered at the scene. "The driver was taken into custody without incident" at that time, according to Smith. During Autumn, pumpkins adorn the front of homes and kitchens across California. 'Our hearts and prayers go out to the victims and their families; we humbly ask that the public and press respect our need for privacy during this trying time.'. By
He has been on the ground to cover active wildfires, civil unrest and mass shootings. Richardson said he and his wife did not recognize the man who was taken to a hospital Sunday evening. View Source Square with arrow pointing upper right. 'She could gab away. [15] There had been only one murder in Seal Beach during the previous four years. Arriving officers located a man and confronted him. At least one officer shot the person. Emch was taken to the hospital where he was declared dead. Mr Fannin's family released a statement following his death describing their 'overwhelming loss'. The suspect allegedly pulled a gun on responding officers shortly after they arrived to the scene. [11] The suspect in the shooting, named by police as 41-year-old[12] Scott Evans Dekraai of Huntington Beach, California, was arrested without incident after being stopped while driving a white pickup truck about one half-mile (0.8km) from the scene of the crime. She said she ran into the restroom of a business next door, closed the door, turned out the light, and listened to more gunshots. Several of her stories can be found on Harvard Universitys Nieman Foundation for Journalism website, selected as examples of exemplary narrative journalism. Police confirmed after 11 p.m. Wednesday that Dekraai had been arrested on suspicion of murder. Stretz is the mother of Laura Elody. [38] In a news conference following the shooting, Rackauckas said: "For almost two minutes, Dekraai shot victim after victim, executing eight people by shooting them in the head and chest. Seal Beach police allege that Dekraai, an ex-marine, entered Salon Meritage in Seal Beach, Calif., wearing a bullet-proof vest and opened fire, killing six people immediately. Wilson testified in a court custody hearing on behalf of Fournier the day before the shooting spree. The 965-acre Seal Beach National Wildlife Refuge, which is entirely within Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach, is located in the northwest corner of Orange County. Police responding to reports of a suspicious person at a Seal Beach home shot and killed an armed man Monday evening, department officials said Tuesday morning. He was described as an Orange County resident associated with multiple addresses. Boom. Eight people are confirmed dead and a ninth remains in critical condition. The Huntington Beach Police Department had transferred a call to Seal Beach police of a reckless driver speeding northbound on PCH from the area of Warner Boulevard, authorities said. She was the most wonderful, heart-giving person put on this earth.'. This is a breaking news story and will be updated. Register reporters Greg Hardesty, Fermin Leal, Denisse Salazar and Eric Carpenter contributed to this report. Thats why were asking readers like you to support our independent, fact-based journalism. Monday night, from his home, he heard loud popping but did not know what had happened until the morning after. The shooting was the first involving a Seal Beach officer since Oct. 29, 2021, when at least one officer fired at an assault suspect while on the 22 Freeway during a pursuit. The poem was signed by Wendy H. Anthony Gonzales, owner of a Naples salon talks about his friends ,who were shot Wednesday afternoon, October 12 at the Salon Meritage in Seal Beach talk w2ith reporters on sidewalk on Pacific Coast Highway. Seal Beach is one of Orange Countys smallest and safest cities, a sleepy seaside town of 25,000 residents. A court hearing had taken place on Tuesday, October 11, 2011, the day before the shooting, which recommended a near-equal custody arrangement. To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com. The Orange County district attorneys office was investigating the matter alongside Seal Beach police, which is standard procedure whenever a member of law enforcement shoots someone. Both locals and tourists have a tendency to take the Cove for granted and forget its natural residents when going swimming or visiting the beach. Police said Jahson Imgrund, a 23-year-old from Lake Forest, was taken into custody and booked for felony hit and run. Li Mandri added: 'She was very athletic. No additional information on the suspect will be provided at this time, pending next-of-kin notification. He has worked for the Register since 2006, previously covering breaking news, the city of Irvine, the Orange County Great Park, and the city of San Juan Capistrano. [39], Dekraai's arraignment took place on November 29, 2011, at which he entered a plea of not guilty. He was taken to the Seal Beach jail for questioning, Bowles said. Ms Fast has two teenage daughters. Steve Bowles said. Scott Evans Dekraai (born October 17, 1969) divorced his wife Michelle in 2007 after four years of marriage. The shooting occurred at Salon Meritage in a shopping mall next to Pacific Coast Highway, just a block from Downtown Seal Beach. The International Fund for Animal . So I will pray for their families. / KCAL News. Download free stock video footage featuring Close up shot of a seal laying on the beach and staring at camera and then looks away. Some neighbors recalled hearing what sounded like fireworks popping last night, according to Miller, but he had not located any eyewitnesses. She was one of those girlfriends you could never get enough of. Respect, respect, respect. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. The assistance of volunteers canvassing the neighborhood, residents searching for additional video evidence, and the ongoing concern for the victims and their families illustrates how tight knit the Seal Beach community is.". 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