1 dead, 1 arrested in apparently random shootings in city
BANNING, Calif. » A man was arrested Saturday on suspicion of going on a violent spree in the Southern California city of Banning that left at least one person dead and three others injured, police said.
The attack, which occurred within a span of an hour on Saturday, appears to be random, and investigators are trying to determine a motive, Police Chief Alex Diaz said.
“We don’t know what his state of mind was,” Diaz said.
The suspect, who has not been identified, is believed to be connected to a shooting that killed a driver and injured a passenger, another car-to-car shooting that caused a minor injury, as well as an assault at a gas station and an attempted carjacking.
Late Saturday night, Diaz told the Los Angeles Times and KABC TV that the gunned-down driver was Paul Lesh. His age was not available, the Times reported. The name of other victims have not been released.
Diaz said detectives were trying to determine if a body found in a pickup truck that crashed into a wall is linked to the crime spree. He told the Riverside Press-Enterprise the male victim suffered gunshot wounds.
Don't miss out on what's happening!
Stay in touch with top news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It's FREE!
Officers in the neighboring city of Beaumont stopped a white SUV matching the vehicle involved in the shootings and found a weapon inside, Diaz said.
The assault in parking lot of the gas station was videotaped.
“There’s a lot information out there to lead us to believe he’s our person,” Diaz said.