Fifth Victim Claimed After Deadly Santa Monica Shooting

Law enforcement announced that the death toll of the horrific Santa Monica shootings rose to 5 on Sunday. During the announcement, police identified the main suspect of the shootings to be a 23 year old male named John Zawahri. Zawahri, previously enrolled at the Santa Monica College in 2010, used an AR-15 automatic assault rifle to make his way nearly a mile down the Santa Monica pier, police officials revealed, firing off more than 1,800 rounds of ammunition as he took the lives of 5 people near the community college.
It was also revealed that two of the victims whom were found approximately 20 blocks from the community college campus were Zawahri’s father, 55 year-old Samir Zawahri as well as his older brother, 24 year old Christopher Zawahri. Reports confirmed that once the suspect had murdered his father and brother he set the house on fire.

The latest victim claimed by the killer came on Sunday as Marcela Dia Franco, a 26 year old, was removed from life support at her hospital in West Los Angeles; Marcela’s 68 year old father, Carlos Navarro Franco was also a victim of the gruesome attack.

According to the report, the shooter began the California shootings with his family before moving toward the college. Witness reports confirm that John Zawahri was clad in all black clothing and carried a duffel bag that contained over 1,800 rounds of ammunition.

After he had had set his father’s home on fire, Zawahri carjacked Debra Fine after shooting her in the arm, shoulder and ear through her vehicle as she attempted to accelerate away. As Fine pretended to be dead, Zawahri took her car and drove toward the Santa Monica community college. Along the way he fired numerous rounds at a city bus, attempting to end the lives of as many Los Angeles residents as he could along the way.

The college is where Zawahri killed the two members of the Franco family who were on campus to buy books for the daughter’s upcoming semester. Once in the campus, Zawahri fired more than 70 rounds at random students who fled as he approached; inside the library Zawahri killed an unidentified woman before three police officers engaged in a gun fight. During the shootout, the three police officers shot Zawahri multiple times ending his life and putting an end to his rampage.

There are many who want to protect gun ownership which is fine. However, laws need  to be made and enforced about guns like this because they are unnecessary and can only destroy. I just wonder when we will stop making excuses for things like this and step up as a nation to protect the innocent from things like this. From Columbine, to Aurora, to Sandy Hook Elementary, we need to do better.

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