Tenant Fatally Shoots Landlord, 2 Others In Pasadena
PASADENA (CBSLA.com) — A day after a tenant-landlord dispute escalated into a rampage, residents in the quiet Pasadena neighborhood are still trying to make sense of the violence.
Three people were killed and two others wounded.
Pasadena Police Chief Phillip Sanchez identified the shooter as 35-year-old John Izeal Smith who is in custody.
KCAL9's Cristy Fajardo reported Smith is being held on $1 million bail.
Police said the shooting was the result of a long-standing tenant-landlord dispute, with Smith fatally shooting his landlord, who the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office has identified as 59-year-old Maria Teresa Aguiar.
The woman was shot inside her green home, where she lived with her father and Smith.
Smith called 911 and reportedly admitted to being the shooter.
The incident was first reported at 4:20 p.m. Saturday in the 1700 block of Summit Avenue when neighbors heard shots being fired.
Police said when they arrived at the scene, they came under heavy fire from the alleged gunman. The suspect wounded neither officer but officials said he struck their patrol vehicle with several rounds.
After returning fire, police said the man barricaded himself inside an apartment. During a brief standoff police said they convinced Smith to give himself up.
Officers took the suspect into custody around 6 p.m. without further incident.
Officials told CBS2 and KCAL9 that two of the deceased were found inside the home and another person killed was found just outside under nearby trees.
The Coroner has named two of the three victims. In addition to Maria Aguiar, Fajardo said the shooting was a double tragedy for the Aguiar family. Also slain, Maria's 91-year-old father, Luis, the owner of the home.
While police continue to say it was a case of a tenant-landlord dispute, Carlos Aguiar -- brother and son of two of the victims -- said it was a case of domestic violence and that Smith lived with his sister.
"He was her boyfriend," said Carlos.
Also killed, an unnamed Good Samaritan who intervened when the shooting began.
One person was also reportedly transported to a hospital. In addition to the three dead, police said two people also sustained minor to moderate injuries.
The two injured are expected to survive, officials said. They include an Aguiar cousin and another Good Samaritan.
On Saturday Brittney Hopper, reporting for KCAL9, said neighbors reported being absolutely terrified.
One man told her he heard between "50 to 70 shots."
On Sunday, police said the suspect did get off about 40 rounds.
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