Suspect arrested in dental office shooting that left 1 dead, 2 injured in El Cajon, California
One person was killed and two other people were injured when a gunman opened fire inside a dental office in El Cajon, California, on Thursday afternoon.
The suspect, identified as Mohammed Abdulkareem, 29, was taken into custody late Thursday local time by San Diego police, El Cajon Police Capt. Rob Ransweiler said.
Police responded to a 911 call at the office on North Magnolia Avenue at 4:15 p.m. local time and performed "lifesaving support" for the three victims.
The deceased victim is male. The coroner’s office will publicly identify him, police said.
Ransweiler said at a news briefing Thursday evening that officers found the victim who died inside the office during the shooting and took him outside, where it was safer to perform lifesaving measures.
The two injured victims — a man in his 40s and a woman in her 20s — were taken to area hospitals, where they were stable, Ransweiler said.
The father of the woman who was wounded told Telemundo San Diego that is she is 27 years old, and that she was shot in the legs.
Police declined to say whether they believe the shooting was targeted and whether they believe the suspect, who was armed with a handgun, knew the victims.
The shooting unfolded in the dental office, and everyone involved was inside the office, Ransweiler said, adding that other people were inside when the shooting occurred. No other injuries in the building were reported.
Police said a camera system used throughout the city identified the suspect's vehicle, a white U-Haul pickup. They said they then confirmed the suspect had rented the truck.
The truck was later found, and Abdulkareem was taken into custody near where the vehicle was located, Ransweiler said.
FBI San Diego and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are assisting in the investigation.
El Cajon is a city about 15 miles northeast of San Diego.
