Shooter kills eight in quiet California community

In an Orange County in Southern California, a lone gunman opened fire at a hair salon killing eight people and critically wounding another.

SEAL BEACH, CA (Catholic Online) - At least two of the three victims died while en route to the hospital. Six others died at the scene.

The normally quiet community of Seal Beach has been rocked by this terrible act of senseless violence. Based on victim and eyewitness testimony, investigators believe the gunman was targeting a particular victim in the salon.

The gunman, after viciously attacking the patrons of the salon, sped off in a white truck. Police officers managed to stop him just half a mile away where he surrendered without incident.
Seal Beach police Sgt. Steve Bowles said, "we feel very confident we have the single and only suspect in custody."

A former salon staffer, Lidia Sosa told reporters that the gun man was targeting his ex-wife. It's believed that a custody dispute may have sparked the killings.

Eyewitnesses say the suspect was cooperative with officers during his arrest. They report he was handcuffed and his hands were covered in plastic, presumably to preserve any gunpowder residue that may be on his hands. He was placed in a patrol car, and was taken away and booked into custody about two-and-a-half hours after the shootings.

Other witnesses say that shortly after the arrest, police arrived at a house on Melody Lane in Huntington Beach. Two women were seen being escorted from the house into an unmarked car, then the house was immediately roped off by the authorities. Neighbors identified the homeowner as Scott Dekraai. His ex-wife, Michelle Dekraai worked at the salon.

Police told reporters that fatalities were found throughout the salon, and one man was found just outside the building. It's believed that when the shooting started, people began to flee. One man locked himself in a bathroom, but was wounded. And one employee locked herself in the salon's facial room and escaped unharmed. It's believed that people ran for their lives seeking shelter during the course of the violence.

Police have not announced the type of weapon that was used in the shootings, or if the weapon has even been recovered. Some observers reported that the man was wearing body armor during the attack.

For the small town of Seal Beach, this is the worst mass-killing in its history, and one of the worst shootings in Orange County since 1976 when a gunman opened fire at Cal State Fullerton killing seven people.

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