Mass Shooter in Monterey Park Used Military Style Pistol

Saturday night, a 72-year-old man opened fire at the Star Ballroom in Monterey Park, California, killing 10 people and injuring 10 more. An 11th victim died a day later in the hospital. People had gathered to celebrate the Lunar New Year. The victims, five men and six women, were all over 50. 

According to news reports, the shooter was armed with a MAC-11 9mm semi-automatic pistol with a large capacity ammunition magazine. MAC stands for Military Armament Corporation. The gun is a machine pistol developed in the 1970s. It is capable of emptying an entire 30-round magazine in less than two seconds. The gun was designed for combat and is currently being used by the special operations and terrorism unit of the Brazilian Navy as well as Venezuela's largest National Police Agency. Police found at least 42 shell casings and an empty magazine at the scene. 

While the motive of the shooter has yet to be determined what is clear is that he intended to inflict maximum harm by using a military pistol with a large capacity magazine giving him the ability to fire many bullets in a short period of time.  Why is a gun with such deadly firepower readily available to the public? 

Stray bullet zips through man's apartment for the second time in less than a year

Larry Weikle was in his Webster Street apartment in San Francisco Sunday night when he heard an unusual noise. Upon investigation, he found a bullet had crashed through a bedroom window and lodged in the wall.

This is the second time in less than a year this has happened. "Last July 3, a bullet came in the front window and hit the ceiling above my head," Larry said.

Larry's friends have told him to move but he doesn't feel he can afford to. "I would move, but I'm in a two-bedroom apartment paying $2,200 a month, and there's no way I can find anything like that. I feel like here I am, working full time, paying my taxes, and I have to dodge bullets."

23-year-old on his way home from work killed by stray bullet

23-year-old Jesus Villegas Mendoza, of Stockton, California, was on his way home from work at a Trader Joe's warehouse when he was shot by a stray bullet.  Witnesses reported hearing three or four gunshots, one which went through Jesus' windshield and struck him in the head as he was driving on Main Street.

Jesus was married with a 20-month-old daughter. He was also a minister at a church just a little more than a mile from the scene of the shooting.

"He was a good Christian guy," said his sister. "He didn't drink. He didn't smoke.  He was a good brother, a good husband, a good father and a good friend. I can't believe this happened to him."

Police are investigating the shooting and have released a video of suspects in the shooting.

Woman shot and killed by stray bullet while standing next to her twin sister

39-year-old Norma Elizalde, of Santa Paula, California was inside her home, doing laundry with her twin sister. A stray bullet came in through the window and struck Norma in the neck. She died of her injuries.

Police determined that two people were standing outside Norma's home when a car drove by with two people they were involved in a fight with. One of the people in the car fired several rounds from a handgun at the people standing on the street. Neither Norma or anyone in her family were the intended target.

Norma leaves behind a husband, a 13-year-old son and a 16-year-old son.

Police have made an arrest in the killing.

Father unintentionally shoots 8-year-old son

Fresno, California police report that an 8-year-old boy was rushed to the hospital Friday afternoon after being unintentionally shot by his father.  The boy and his father were home, along with others, while the father was doing some work on a shotgun which he thought was empty.

He unintentionally discharged the weapon, hitting the boy.  Police said luckily only a few pellets hit the boy.  He was taken to the local hospital for treatment.

Police say these types of accidents happen far too often.

Police confiscated 6 rifles and 4 handguns from the home while the incident is under investigation.

Teen hit by stray bullet paralyzed from waist down

19-year-old Dominique Romero, of Richmond, California, was sitting on the couch inside her home on Saturday night when someone fired multiple shots in the street outside. One of the bullets came through the wall of her house and hit Dominique. The bullet went through her arm and wedged in her spine.

Doctors at the Walnut Creek medical center told the teen and her family on Monday that she is paralyzed from the waist down.

Dominique's mother told press, "She didn't even cry. She's like 'I'd rather be paralyzed mom, than gone.'"

Police are still searching for the person who fired as many as nine shots that night.

Fatal unintentional shooting at home also used as child day care

21-year-old Michael Nugent, of San Diego, California, was at his friend's house getting ready for a hunting trip. The house is owned by Sharon Orr, who runs Orr's Family Day Care and Preschool at the house.

According to reports, Orr was downstairs while her grandson and Nugent were upstairs looking at a shotgun when the gun was dropped and unintentionally discharged. Police were called to the home around 1 a.m. Nugent was shot in the chest and died from his injuries.

Under California law, family child care homes require guns must be unloaded and locked up and ammunition must be stored and locked away separately. Orr stressed that the shotgun was kept in an upstairs safe along with other guns that belonged to her grandson and her boyfriend. She noted that the safe was kept in a room with a child-proofed door knob and there was also a childproof gate to keep children from going upstairs. Orr added that she intends to remove all the weapons and the safe from the house.

Man cleaning his new handgun unintentionally discharges gun, shoots passing car

A San Diego, California man had his new semi-automatic handgun for just a few days. After returning from target practice Wednesday afternoon, he was cleaning the gun in his living room.

"When he was reloading his gun, he accidentally fired off a round out his window," said a police spokesperson.

The bullet traveled through his window and hit a passing car, piercing the rear window and lodging in the car's back seat. Fortunately, no one was injured.

Police have temporarily confiscated the weapon. It will be up to the district attorney's office whether any charges will be filed.

Woman drops gun in Sam's Club, unintentionally shoots husband

50-year-old Helen Duncan, of Glendora, California was in the local Sam's Club Sunday afternoon with her husband, 48-year-old Robert.

Helen was carrying a handgun inside of a fanny pack when she dropped the fanny pack and the gun unintentionally discharged.

The bullet struck Robert in the arm. The couple drove to the hospital where Robert was treated.

After leaving the hospital, the couple was arrested and charged with negligently discharging a firearm and illegally possessing a concealed firearm without a permit.

Child pulls trigger on police officer's gun at reading event, shoots cop

A Lodi, California police SWAT officer was at a Reading Roundup children's community event showing tactical equipment to the children. A boy, about 6 to 8 years old, walked up behind the officer and was able to pull the trigger on the Glock 35 handgun that was holstered on his thigh.

The bullet struck the officer's leg. He was treated at the hospital for a minor injury and released.
According to police, that model Glock "doesn't have an external safety or anything like that. The gun functioned how it was supposed to. When the trigger was pulled, the gun went off."

Lodi police released a statement that read, in part, "this should have never happened, especially in an environment where children were present. We're fortunate this event didn't result in a tragedy."

Investigators want to talk with the boy about what happened so they can prevent incidents like this in the future.

Woman scrapbooking in her apartment unintentionally shot by neighbor cleaning his new assault rifle

63-year-old Laurie Horton, of Dana Point, California, was sitting at her kitchen table, working on a scrapbook for her granddaughter, when a bullet came through her wall from the apartment next door. A bullet fragment hit Laurie in the forehead.
"It just slammed my head. It was a big, loud pop. It had kinda an odd smell," said Laura.
Her husband told reporters, "I realized that Laurie was bleeding from the forehead. Didn't know why or anything. And then our neighbor came running over and said 'Are you okay? Are you okay? My gun went off.'"
The neighbor was testing his new AR-15 assault rifle. "I had just gotten a new gun and I was testing parts of it, taking it apart and putting it back together," he said. "I didn't realize the rifle was loaded." He added that he had just gotten the gun that day and was trying different parts on it.
Laurie was just happy her injuries weren't more serious, "We're the most lucky people on earth don't you think? I got shot in the head!"
Police said it was unlikely the neighbor would face any charges. "The investigation so far indicates everything was an accident." He did not specify what makes one situation an accident and another a negligent discharge of a firearm.

10-year-old finds handgun, unintentionally shoots and kills himself

10-year-old Eric Klyaz, of San Diego, California, was playing at a friend's house when the children found a Sig-Sauer 9-millimeter handgun. Eric and the 9-year-old girl were playing with the gun when Eric unintentionally discharged the weapon, shooting himself in the chest.
The shooting was reported about 4:15 p.m. and Eric died shortly afterwards at a local hospital.
According to reports, the gun's owner, Todd Francis, told police "he had an unloaded 9-mm handgun inside a clear plastic storage container inside the garage" and that his children "were not aware he had the handgun, or where he had placed the handgun."
The district attorney is still investigating and will decide if any charges will be filed against Francis.

Man showing teenager how to handle a gun unintentionally shoots him. Teen may be paralyzed.

16-year-old Roy Weichers, of Millville, California, and a friend were at the house of 44-year-old Danny Gray. Gray was showing the teens how to handle and fire his Glock .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun. According to news reports they were "practicing shooting techniques."
The police report that during a break "one of the teens there loaded the gun and they continued showing the shooting practice."
Gray was showing Roy how to fire the gun. He didn't realize the weapon was loaded and unintentionally shot Roy.
Roy is in the hospital in serious, but stable, condition. Doctors tried to remove the bullet in surgery but discovered it was wedged in Roy's spine. They were able to remove the bullet in a follow-up surgery but don't know whether or not Roy will be left paralyzed in his left leg.
"He is doing as well as can be expected," said his mother. "He will not fully recover...It will change his life forever."
Gray says he feels terrible but that this is a tragic accident.
Police are still investigating and haven't decided yet if charges will be filed.

Man adjusting his concealed weapon unintentionally discharges gun in movie theater

An off-duty Correctional Sgt. with the California Dept. of Corrections and Rehabilitation was at a screening of "The Twilight Saga Breaking Dawn - Part 2" at the Regal Cinema in Sonora, California. He told police "that he's walking up an aisle looking for a seat in the theater, while doing so he was adjusting his off-duty holster and somehow the strap came undone and the firearm discharged."
The bullet ripped through an armrest and landed on the floor. A woman said she was hit from shrapnel but details are unclear.
A woman who was at the movie with her daughter told reporters, "What was rolling through my mind was the Aurora, Colorado issue, so I didn't know if this guy was going to shoot us."
Police confiscated the gun and are investigating the incident. So far, no charges have been filed.

Man helping brother slaughter pig unintentionally shot and killed

28-year-old Koua Vang of Elk Grove, California was helping his older brother slaughter two pigs for a family party. A circle of family members, including Vang, had gathered around the two bound pigs. The brother killed one pig but when he went to shoot the second pig the animal lurched, hitting the .22-caliber rifle and causing the gun to unintentionally discharge.
Vang was hit in the face at close range. He was taken to the hospital in critical condition and died of his injuries two days later.

Lawsuit against Glock claiming gun has high risk of unintentional discharge allowed to continue

In July of 2006, Enrique Chavez, a policeman in Los Angles, California, was driving his then 3-year-old son, Collin, to his grandfather's house. The boy was not in a car seat and Chavez had forgotten that he left his service pistol, a Glock handgun, loaded and unlocked in a holster underneath the front seat. At a red light, Collin picked up the handgun and shot his father in the back. Chavez was left paralyzed by the injury.
Chavez sued Glock claiming the gun lacked adequate safeguards against an accidental discharge because it had a light trigger pull, thus allowing the 3-year-old to shoot the gun, and did not have a manual safety or a grip safety, a device attached to the pistol grip that the shooter must deactivate before firing.
A Los Angeles judge dismissed the case but the Second District Court of Appeal reinstated the case on Tuesday.
Glock has argued "that they had no duty to design a firearm that an unsupervised 3-year-old could safely play with when left loaded and unsecured by a trained police officer who had ignored every warning and instruction he had read about firearm storage safety."

Man unintentionally shoots and kills brother with newly purchased handgun

41-year-old George Enriquez, of Antioch, California, brought his newly purchased handgun over to his brother's home to show off the gun. While the brothers were looking at the gun George unintentionally discharged the weapon and shot his younger brother Michael. Michael died at the scene.
According to police, George was pointing the handgun at his brother when he tried to remove the slide, which on this particular gun required you to pull the trigger. Bu the gun was loaded and when the trigger was pulled the gun fired.
Even though police agree that this was an unintentional shooting, they are moving forward with a criminal case.
"Mr. Enriquez had a lot of knowledge about firearms and knew better," said police. "It's a terrible tragedy, but it's a manslaughter from our standpoint."

Dog knocks over shotgun, gun discharges, shoots 8-year-old girl

An 8-year-old Gerber, California girl was watching television in her living room with her 7-year-old friend when a shotgun in the dining room discharged. The pellets went through the arm of the couch and struck the girl in her bicep and abdomen, causing major injuries.
According to the police report, the shotgun had been left loaded and propped against a wall with the butt of the gun on a small wicker chair. Because no one else was in the room at the time, police speculate that one of the several dogs in the home bumped the wicker chair, causing the shotgun to fall.
The girl was taken by ambulance to a local hospital and later air-lifter to UC Davis Medical Center for treatment.
Because guns are the only consumer product not regulated by a federal agency for safety standards there is no recall mechanism for a gun that discharges when dropped. Nor is there a federal requirement that guns be manufactured in such a way to avoid this kind of discharge.

Man showing handgun to teens unintentionally discharges weapon shooting both boys

35-year-old Mansa Evans of Santa Maria, California was home with two teenage boys. He was showing them his semi-automatic handgun and had removed the magazine but failed to clear the chamber so didn't realize the gun was still loaded. Evans unintentionally discharged the gun, shooting the boys at close range.
The bullet struck the first boy in the face then kept going and struck the second boy in the neck and lodged in his spinal cord. Both boys suffered substantial injuries. They were taken to hospitals that specialize in treating gun shot wounds.
Because of the age of the victims no more information is being released.
Evans was arrested and charged with felony child endangerment.

Woman killed when husband unintentionally fires homemade cannon into home

A Potrero, California man was drinking with a friend and tinkering with a homemade cannon when he unintentionally fired the cannon into his mobile home. The man's 33-year-old wife, who was inside sleeping at the time, was killed. It is not immediately clear if the projectile or the cannon blast killed her.
A Cal Fire dispatcher said that when the husband called to report the incident he was "freaking out." The woman was pronounced dead at the scene at about 12:15 a.m. The couple's 4-year-old son was also inside the home at the time of the blast but he was not harmed.
The husband was taken to the hospital with injuries suffered in the blast. The extent of his injuries are unclear.