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Six people, including the gunman, were dead following a shooting spree in Bakersfield on Wednesday that authorities believe was an act of domestic violence, Kern County sheriff’s officials said.
It was not clear why the man went on the rampage, but there may be a connection between the shooter and the victims — all described as adults, Sheriff Donny Youngblood told reporters.
The gunman shot himself as at least one law enforcer approached him, Youngblood said.
Authorities received their first call about the shooting at 5:19 p.m., said Lt. Mark King of the Kern County Sheriff’s Office. Three people, including the gunman’s wife, are believed to have been fatally shot at a trucking business, he said.
At 5:34 p.m., authorities received reports of a man with a gun and shots fired a few miles away, where two other victims were found dead, King said.
Fifteen minutes later, a woman and her child were carjacked nearby, but the mother persuaded the gunman to let them go and take their vehicle, King said. Both were unharmed.
Deputies spotted the vehicle and it soon turned into a business’ parking lot, King said. The gunman got out and fatally shot himself in front of deputies, he said.
“The suspect killed himself,” Youngblood said during a news conference. “The wife’s dead.”
Sheriff’s officials said there were multiple crime scenes, including at the trucking business and near a gun seller called Bear Mountain Sports. The area of the shooting spree was in unincorporated Bakersfield, which is patrolled by the sheriff’s department.
Youngblood said detectives believe the gun store is not connected to the spree. A victim happened to be in the area and was chased around the building before being shot, he said.
Youngblood said at least a single handgun was used in the attacks, and he did not know if other weapons were deployed.
The investigation could take days, Youngblood said, because there are at least 30 witnesses to be interviewed. The body camera video from the officer who confronted the shooter also has to be examined.
“It’s very unusual to have six people killed in one incident,” he said. He later added, “This is the new normal.”