A gunman opened fire at an office building in the city of Orange Wednesday, killing four people and wounding a fifth. The shooter was also wounded, officials said.
A child was among those found slain when officers responded to a report of shots being fired at 202 W. Lincoln Ave. around 5:30 p.m., said Lt. Jennifer Amat with the Orange Police Department.
The shooting was still active when officers arrived on scene at the two-story office building, Amat said, adding that at least one officer opened fire on the gunman. But Amat later said officials were still working to determine whether the suspect was shot by police, or if he sustained a self-inflicted wound.
Amat had no information about what may have prompted the attack. She said the shooting occurred on both levels of the building. The multi-tenant building houses various businesses such as a mental health counseling services office, State Farm Insurance, a financial consulting firm, a legal services firm and a phone repair store.
Police located “multiple victims” at the scene, including a child who was fatally shot. As of 8 p.m. Wednesday Amat said there was no information on the child’s age, or any identifying information on the others shot.
One woman was injured and is in the hospital, the lieutenant said, adding that the shooter was also transported to a hospital after being taken into custody. Amat later confirmed that both the woman and the shooter were in critical condition and suffered gunshot wounds.
Sky5 was overhead, and footage from the scene showed multiple agencies responding and dozens of officers. Authorities could be seen trying to resuscitate a woman.
A man who lives in an apartment across the street told KTLA he was headed to get dinner with his wife when officers began urging him to get to safety, warning of an active shooting.
He says he heard “seven to 10 gunshots within a couple seconds,” and a total of about 13 shots, before seeing a woman dead on the ground outside the building.
“It’s terrifying,” he said.
Paul Tovar was among those who gathered outside the building after the shooting to get word about loved ones.
Tovar said his brother runs a business at the office building, called Unified Homes, which sells mobile homes.
“I’m just trying to find out his well-being. He’s not answering his phone, neither’s my niece,” Tovar said. “I’m pretty scared and worried. I wish I knew more … right now I’m just praying really hard.”
Cody Lev says he was sitting in his residence near the scene when he heard a series of gunshots, spaced out by about 40 minutes, before police responded to the area and additional gunshots rang out.
By 7 p.m., police said the situation was stabilized and there is no threat to the public.
The killings follow a mass shooting at a supermarket in Boulder, Colorado, last week that left 10 dead. A week before that six Asian women were among eight people killed in three Atlanta-area spas.
Amat said Wednesday’s shooting was the worst in the city since December 1997, when a former Caltrans worker armed with an assault rifle attacked a California Department of Transportation maintenance yard, killing four people.
Orange County Rep. Katie Porter and state Sen. Tom Umberg both commented on the incident on Twitter, saying they were saddened and monitoring the situation.
“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,” Porter tweeted. “My team and I will continue to monitor the situation closely.”
In his response to the shooting, state Assemblymember Rob Bonta, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s nominee for California attorney general, called gun violence “America’s disease.”
“No one should have to fear for their lives at work, in school, or in prayer,” Bonta wrote in tweet.
