A series of shootings took place today at 7-Eleven stores in Orange County and Riverside, resulting in the death of a store clerk in Brea, a 24-year-old man in Santa Ana and injured three others in La Habra and Riverside. The violent crimes coincided with the 95th birthday of 7-Eleven, a day the chain celebrated by giving out free small Slurpee drinks to customers with the 7-Eleven rewards app.
The Brea Police Department released photos of the man suspected of fatally shooting a store clerk at a 7-Eleven store in Brea.
Police detectives said the robbery suspect in three of the shootings appears to be the same suspect. A Riverside police official also said that the incident in their city appeared to be similar to the attacks in Orange County.
The Riverside shooting went down at about 1:50 a.m. at the 7-Eleven at 5102 La Sierra Ave. A male suspect showed his gun to the store clerk then robbed the store. For unknown reasons the suspect decided to shoot a customer in his 40’s as he fled from the store. That victim is now in grave condition with a serious head wound.
A while after the Riverside shooting, at about 3:25 a.m., a 24-year-old man identified as Matthew Rule, was shot and killed at the 7-Eleven located at the 300 block of East 17th Street during what police said was an attempted robbery.
Less than an hour later another shooting occurred at a 7-Eleven store only 15 miles away, in Brea, northwest of Brea Boulevard and Lambert Road. A store clerk was shot and killed in what Brea police said was a robbery that turned into a homicide.
The killing spree was not over yet. At about 4:55 a.m., not far from Brea, in La Habra, there was another armed robbery at the 7-Eleven at 381 E. Whittier Blvd. Responding police officers found two victims with gunshot wounds who were taken to a hospital.
