2013 Santa Monica shootings

Santa Monica College was placed on lock-down and issued a statement on its Facebook page for students to stay away from the campus. The lock-down was lifted later that day, but the campus grounds remained closed until the following Monday morning, when students were scheduled to take final exams.[20] All schools in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District were placed on lock-down as well.[21] In the days and weeks following the shooting, mental health counseling was provided at Santa Monica College to students, employees, and the surrounding community.[11]

President Barack Obama was in Santa Monica at the time for a fundraiser just a ten-minute drive from the campus. His motorcade was rerouted and he left safely on Air Force One.[6][22] A report of the shooting released in March 2014 later revealed that the reason behind the quick police response was Obama's presence, which required a large number of police officers and also specialized tactical resources in the area.[11]

On August 7, 2013, exactly two months after the killing spree, the Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees adopted a resolution banning firearms on its nine area campuses. The resolution cited "repeated, serious occurrences of campus-based shootings". It also stated "the presence of firearms, even when nonoperational and in the instructional setting, lends itself to the potential for panic and fear". The policy allows weapons on campus only if carried by a sworn law enforcement officer or for use in a theatrical performance. It effectively ended the conduct of non-credit gun safety classes previously offered on LACCD campuses.[23]

Six people were killed on the day of the incident, including Zawahri, who was shot by police. One shooting victim died from her wounds in the hospital two days later. Four others were injured.[1] The injured victims were treated at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. The conditions of the wounded victims ranged from critical to good, and at least one underwent surgery.[6][24]

Zawahri's first victims were his father, 55-year-old Samir Zawahri, and older brother, 24-year-old Christopher Zawahri, both of whom lived in the home at 2036 Yorkshire Avenue in Santa Monica. They were believed to have been shot and killed after the house was set on fire.[5][25][26] One of the victims was Debra Lynn Fine, a 50-year-old woman shot as she came upon the Yorkshire Avenue carjacking and attempted to intervene.[10][27] Three other people went to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center with minor injuries; one had shrapnel-type injuries and the two others had injuries not related to gunfire. All were treated and released.[3]

On the day of the incident, two people were killed near the library at Santa Monica College.[28] One was Margarita Gomez, a 68-year-old woman who was collecting recyclable material,[29] and the other was Carlos Navarro Franco, the 68-year-old groundskeeper for the school and the driver of the Ford Explorer. His 26-year-old daughter and passenger, Marcela Diaz Franco, was wounded and died from her injuries in a hospital two days later.[30][31]

The Los Angeles County Coroner's Office released the causes of death on June 12. Samir Zawahri was shot multiple times, and Christopher Zawahri was shot once in the chest. Carlos Navarro Franco died of gunshot wounds to the neck and face; his daughter, Marcela Diaz Franco, a student at the college, died of a gunshot wound to the head. Margarita Gomez, the woman who was collecting cans outside the library, died after being shot in the abdomen and chest. Zawahri died of multiple gunshot wounds.[32]

John Samir Zawahri (June 8, 1989 – June 7, 2013)[5] was identified by officials as the shooter on June 8. He was armed with an AR-15-type semiautomatic rifle, a .44 1858 Remington model cap-and-ball revolver, and an additional upper receiver for the rifle. He was described as wearing black tactical clothing and "body armor" by his carjacking victim Laura Sisk, though it was later determined the tactical vest did not contain any type of armor.[13][33] Sources said Zawahri had forty 30-round magazines in pouches in his clothing and in a bag he carried. Ammunition was strapped to his body as well as in pouches in his clothing and tactical vest.[33][34] Law enforcement sources stated that they believed the attack was premeditated, citing the gunman's extensive armament and preparation.[35]

In 2006, when Zawahri was a student at Olympic High School in Santa Monica, a teacher saw him surfing the Web for information on assault weapons and instructions on making explosive devices. School staff also learned that he had repeatedly made threats against students, teachers, and campus security officers. Within days, police were involved and bomb-making materials were found at his home. Zawahri was subsequently admitted to the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute.[30][34][36] Zawahri was a student of Santa Monica High School before enrolling in Santa Monica College in the winter of 2009.[37] The college had no disciplinary issues with Zawahri, officials said. He left the school in the fall of 2010.[38][39]

• List of homicides in California
• List of school shootings in the United States