A man stood in the parking lot of a shopping mall in Southern California on Saturday and fired 50 shots into the air.
Police didn’t say why, but his actions prompted many stores in the open-air Fashion Island mall in Newport Beach to lock their doors.
No one was hurt by the bullets raining down, but one person suffered minor injuries while trying to flee the area, police said.
Newport Beach Police quickly took the man, 42-year-old Marcos Sarinana Gurrola, into custody, but not before calling in the bomb squad when the man said he had more ammunition in the trunk of his car.
Suspect Arrested After Firing Weapon in Parking Lot nixle.us/84KMJ
— Newport Beach Police (@NewportBeachPD) December 16, 2012
The incident came a day after a mass shooting at an elementary school in Connecticut, and last week’s fatal shooting at a mall in Oregon.
Patrick Wyrick was returning to his car when he heard the shots and, from behind the safety of his car, began capturing the scene with camera.
“I wasn't sure they were real or not. Then a heard another set of shots and then another,” he said in a video he posted on YouTube.
“My wife and daughter were at an ice cream shop in the mall when the shooting happened. They ended up running and screaming with everyone toward the opposite side of the mall.”
Other shoppers began tweeting:
There is a shooting at fashion island and I'm trapped in a department store. This is scary
— Emily Altieri (@e_altieri) December 16, 2012
omg omg omg omg there's a shooting at fashion island. can't go anywhere on lockdown
— Zoë Amelia Klopfer (@zoeboo2) December 16, 2012
Another thing, they reported this guy from Conn had Asperger syndrome but thats not a cause of the crime...and I will point out I served in Iraq with another soldier who had Asperger syndrome and he served his country came back, went to college and graduated and has a job and about to get a house....just saying.
Saw a good point on a picture.
Oklahoma City Bombing: Timothy McVeigh killed 168 people, 19 children under the age of 6, but you can still buy fertilizer, you can still buy racing rull, you can still rent box trucks............murderers can still murder
"murderers will still murder" – but shouldn't we limit the obvious options for them?? Or should we also allow fully automatic machine guns or grenades for public use?
@ photok I have a question for you. Where Can I buy fully automatic machine guns or grenades. And would you ever be so kind as to tell me the last time that one, that was legaly purchased, was used in a crime.
Thank You,
John Sinclair
Just downright sad.
Afganisthan or Iraq might be better suited for you if you love guns, high powered assault weapons. There you can own and use them at your will and kill whoever you deem as threat to you. Grow up, stop thinking that right to own weapons is symbol of freedom. One case of abuse heavily outweighs the sense of freedom that you can get by owning it. You never know when your own kid will be victim of another incident if such a weapon crazy culture is to be encouraged. Going to a mall or theater with the concerns of being victim of another crazy mass shooter is no freedom.
Your speech is no way to show freedom either because the government doesnt care what you say its only the voice of the elected officials that matters and they lie to fool everyone into voting for them i say get rid of the first amendment then no one can say anything stupid publicly
50 shots and didn't hit anyone?
He could be a new York city police officer
They shoot about the same way
I'm sorry, but the problem is American culture. 90% of Swiss men over the age of 18, because of conscription, own either a SIG 550 automatic rifle or a semi-automatic pistol, or both. And they are all trained with it and have live ammunition is all of their houses. Why isn't there astronomical gun crime in Switzerland? In Canada, per capita we have more guns than the americans. Where is our gun crime? Its not the guns fault. ITS AMERICANS WITH GUNS. Something is sick in your country.
Yes.... too much rap music...
Blaming the gun ......
Is like blaming ; a car for Drunk Driving......
Way too easy to get a drivers license.
Completely agree!
It's the same reason why when you go drinking in Switzerland you don't have to worry about getting to a bar fight. Our culture celebrates and rewards using violence as a solution.
Oh crap, there's a gunman spraying bullets in the mall parking lot! Quick, gotta get on Twitter!!
finally someone gets it.
My life is in danger, My wife and child are possiblely in a life threatning situation,so I'm going to hide behind this car and record this for Youtube! What a moron.
Cool. Posh Newport Fashion Island. I know the place. Heart of wealthy conservative Orange County, and close to the really wealthy parts. In fact, it's a major shopping mall for the wealthy since it's close to their seaside yacht dock homes. More crazy gun owners "doing their thing" in the heart of wealthy areas would probably have a big impact upon money flowing to better regulate firmarms. Ask one of these wealthy seaside home owners what they think about "drill baby drill" off the coast of California, and you'll quickly find out how liberal they can be on some issues.
Okay, so we have someone who is VIOLATING THE LAW. He was arrested and probably will be charged - that is unless he's a member of Holder's Fast and Furious team or the Waco pyrotechnics crew.
He'll get charged with a crime, a judge will evaluate his intentions and whether he was attempting to murder anyone or if it was terrorism related - and he will spend a good amount of time in jail. We already have laws about firing guns in city areas and the other 9,999,999 residents of LA are safely handling their guns probably better than they are driving.