Yet another American shooting rampage, this time in California, has left five people dead, including the gunman, who shot dead four people in the streets of Santa Monica and injured five others. Two of the victims were believed to be the gunman’s father and brother.
Police were still to identify the heavily-armed gunman, who was said to be 25 to 30 years old. There was no immediate word about the victims or about the cause of the rampage through this southern California town on a day when President Barack Obama was visiting the State for a Democratic party event, followed by a summit meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Some reports said the gunman had mental issues,
as has been noticed in a number of mass shootings in recent times.
Dressed in black and
carrying an assault rifle, the gunman fired at people, cars, a public bus and buildings before being shot and killed by the police at the Santa Monica College library. Initially, the police said six people had been gunned down. The figure was revised to four later. One of the five injured persons was said to be in critical condition.