A nine-year-old boy killed in the California mass shooting died in his wounded mother’s arms as she tried to save him, officials say.
The youngster was among four victims of an Orange County man who gunned them down in the shocking incident at an office complex.
“It appears that a little boy died in his mother’s arms as she was trying to save him during this horrific massacre,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer on Thursday.
The mass shooting was the third such incident in less than a month in the US, following attacks in Atlanta, Georgia, which killed eight and Boulder, Colorado, which left10 dead.
Police say that suspect Aminadab Gaxiola Gonzalez, 44, knew all of his victims.
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“The preliminary motive is believed to be related to a business and personal relationship which existed between the suspect and all of the victims,” said Orange Police Department Lieutenant Jennifer Amat.
Authorities say that Mr Gonzalez, who is from neighboring Fullerton, California, entered the office complex and went into Unified Homes, locking a courtyard gate behind him with bicycle locks.
He is accused of shooting at police officers when they arrived at the scene, who were locked out until the chains could be removed using bolt cutters.
“In the meantime, horrific rampage was going on in offices and people were dying or were being shot,” added Mr Spitzer.
The suspect was injured in a shoot out with officers before they could arrest him.
A semi-automatic handgun and a backpack containing pepper spray, handcuffs and ammunition was recovered at the scene.
A dead woman was found on an upstairs office landing, a male victim was inside the office, and female victim was in a mother office.
Police have not yet released the names of the victims as they try and contact their families.
