Four people were killed on Tuesday during a shooting rampage in Orange County in the early morning hours. Authorities said that a 20-year-old killed a woman at his him and then sped off using his parents’ vehicle. The rampage lasted one hour and the suspect, Ali Syed, killed himself at the end of the rampage, according to The Associated Press.
One victim was removed from his BMW while sitting at a stop sign, walked to a curb, and then was shot in the back of the head as other commuters watched.
“He was basically executed,” Santa Ana police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna said. “There were at least six witnesses.”
Syed lived with his parents at the Ladera Ranch where the first victim was filled, according to Tustin police chief Scott Jordan. Syed had been taking a class at a community college in the area and did not have a job. The woman killed at his home was not identified. Jim Amormino, a spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff, said that the woman was not related to Syed.
The shooting was reported by Syed’s parents, who were home when it occurred. Jordan noted that one carjack victim said Syed stated, “I don’t want to hurt you. I killed somebody. Today is my last day.”
“There is no conspiracy here, there are no outstanding suspects, it was a very, very unfortunate situation, but I don’t think the people here in Orange County have to be worried about their safety,” Jordan said.
The shooting began at 4:45 a.m. One neighbor, Jason Glass, said that he was watching TV in his garage with the door open slightly when he thought he heard gunshots.
“I just happened to be in here when this happened,” Glass said about his garage. “To think he could have rolled under my door or needed a car or needed to hide is crazy. It’s freaking me out.”
One victim who spotted Syed in a parking lot with a gun tried to escape in his Cadillac. Syed chased the car and shot out the back window, hitting the man in the back of the head. The shot did not kill the man.
Jordan said that the driver “noticed that he was loading his shotgun, so he simply gets back in his car and tries to escape. He’s driving through the parking lot trying to get away and the suspect is actually chasing him on foot, taking shots at him.”
Syed then approached a pick-up truck and requested the keys. Jordan said, “He says something to the effect of, `I’ve killed somebody. Today’s my last day. I don’t want to hurt you. Give me your keys. He hands over the keys and he gets in the truck and leaves.”
The driver of the BMW was Melvin Edwards, who was headed to his business in Santa Ana. He was shot in the back of the head execution style in front of commuters.
“They tried to get away. They saw what was going on, they tried to get away and they called police,” Jordan said.
Jeremy Lewis, a construction worker, was killed at the Micro Center. Syed then took his own life at an intersection in Orange with officers in pursuit.