Parolee Arrested In Triple Fatal Shooting At Torrance Bowling Alley; Victims Remembered During Vigil
TORRANCE (CBSLA/AP) – A Los Angeles parolee has been arrested in the shooting at a Torrance bowling alley, police said Monday.
Reginald Wallace, 47, who had been on parole since 2017 after spending 17 years incarcerated for assault with a deadly weapon involving a firearm, was arrested early Sunday by detectives and SWAT officers in the area of Fourth Street and Western Avenue in Los Angeles, Torrance Police Department Chief Eve Irvine announced at a Monday afternoon news conference at police headquarters.
He is now being held without bail.
The Torrance Police Department responded shortly after midnight Friday to calls of shots fired at the Gable House Bowl, which offers bowling, laser tag and an arcade. They found seven people with gunshot wounds. Three men were pronounced dead at the scene and two were taken to a hospital, Sgt. Ronald Harris said. Two other men were struck by gunfire but "opted to seek their own medical attention."
Torrance Police Department Chief Eve Irvine said a fight involving a few people grew into a brawl involving as many as 15. At some point, Wallace pulled a handgun from his pocket and fired into a crowd, Irvine alleged, adding that he was believed to have been the only shooter.
Anglean Hubbard held her grandson, Princeton, as tightly as she could Monday night.
"How do you tell a 5 year old that his daddy is not coming back?" she said.
Princeton's dad, 28-year-old Robert Meekins, was one of the three men killed when gunfire erupted at the popular bowling alley.
Cell phone video captured a massive brawl that police say started between two people then grew to more than a dozen.
Wes Hamad, a 29-year-old Torrance resident, was at the bowling alley with his 13-year-old niece and cousin when he saw a "huge fight" break out. Hamad said the brawl, which lasted about five minutes, blocked the entrance and spiraled into "complete chaos."
Police said between security video and witness testimonies, they believe Wallace pulled a handgun out of his pocket and fired at the crowd.
"I grabbed my niece and started running toward the far end of the bowling alley," he said. "As we were running, we heard 15 shots."
The mother of 28-year-old Astin Edwards, who was the second victim, said her son died in his cousin's arms.
"He was there the whole time because I'm glad my son wasn't there by himself when he died," she said.
The third victim was 20-year-old Michael Radford, the father of a baby girl.
The families said the three victims were friends – whose memories were honored during a vigil in which Princeton helped to raise money for their services.
"He's my favorite daddy and I love him," he said.
California Sen. Kamala Harris said her heart breaks for the victims. "We must do more to address gun violence," she tweeted Saturday. "Americans should be able to go to a bowling alley and be safe."
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