Fullerton man identified as the suspect in yesterday’s mass shooting in Orange

Aminadab Gaxiola Gonzalez, a 44-year-old resident of Fullerton, has been identified as the suspect who allegedly conducted a mass shooting in Orange yesterday that resulted in the deaths of a man, two women and a a 9-year-old boy at an Orange business complex. The 9-year-old is believed to be the son of one of the victims who worked at the business. The child apparently died in his mother’s arms.

Gonzalez was shot in the head and hand and remained hospitalized in critical but stable condition on Thursday. Gonzales is believed to have been injured when Orange police officers fired their weapons at him as they responded to the shooting incident however it is also possible that he shot himself.

If convicted, Gonzalez would be eligible for the death penalty, according to OCDA Todd Spitzer, who has said that this will be treated as a special circumstance case.

The Orange Police Department stated that the attack was not a random one. All of the victims knew the suspect through either a business or personal relationship. The shooting happened at two business suites belonging to Unified Homes, a real estate business that specializes in mobile homes. The shooting was reportedly inside one of the multiple business suites in the building but spread to a courtyard area.

Police officers found a backpack they believe belonged to the suspect that contained pepper spray, handcuffs and ammunition.

Orange police officers were called at around 5:30 p.m. because of shots fired at a business at 202 W. Lincoln Avenue.

When the Orange police officers arrived at the scene, they found that the front and back wrought iron gates had been locked from the inside, with a bicycle-type cable lock, which meant they were not able to get into the premises in order to get to engage the suspect. The suspect shot at the responding police officers and they returned fire, from outside the gate.

The identities of the victims were not released because authorities are still working to notify the next of kin. Relatives with questions about loved ones who may have been victims of the shooting should contact the Orange Police Department.

Update from the Orange Police Dept. as of 3:00 p.m:

Reference the 9-1-1 calls and officer response time: We received five initial 9-1-1 calls. The first caller to OPD Dispatch was at 5:34:51 in which a male was reported to be shooting into a building across the street. The first Orange Police Officer on scene was at 5:36 p.m., which was under two minutes. Shots were reported to have been fired by officers within minutes of their arrival.

Regarding the suspect: Investigators have established the suspect arrived at the location in a rental car which has been located in the parking lot of 202 W. Lincoln Ave. The suspect is believed to have been living out of a motel in Anaheim.

We have obtained video footage from inside the business location which shows the suspect inside. The video is not available for release at this time, however a still image is available. The Orange County Crime Lab is currently at the location processing the scene. The identities of the victims are not yet confirmed. We will provide the identity of the victims as soon as they are available. We feel for the families who believe their loved ones may be one of the victims. Investigators will remain on scene throughout the day and likely into the night until the investigation is complete by the Orange County Crime Lab and the Orange County Coroner’s Office. The identities of the victims will be released in collaboration with the Orange County Coroner’s Office as soon as the information becomes available.

If anyone has any information about the incident, please call Orange Police Department at 714-744-7444.