Seal Beach shooting: Panicked 911 call placed after rampage
A 911 call released by the California Highway Patrol Friday reveals a frantic scene in which a man with a panicked, shaky voice calls for an ambulance in the aftermath of Wednesday’s mass shooting at a Seal Beach salon in which eight were killed.
In the four-minute phone call, a man describes the shooter as a 300-pound white male wearing a white shirt. Scott Dekraai, 41, was later arrested in the killings.
The operator asks, “Why did he start shooting?” to which the man replies, “I don’t know, we were right across the street.”
Seal Beach salon shooting: The victims
When asked if the shooter is still at the scene, the man replies, “No we saw him walk away … we saw him in a truck down the street.”
Police said they detained Dekraai, of Huntington Beach, within minutes, stopping him about half a mile from the Salon Meritage in 500 block of Pacific Coast Highway. Officials believe Dekraai’s primary target was his ex-wife, Michelle Fournier. The two were involved in a heated custody dispute over their 8-year-old son.
After about two minutes, the caller does not respond to the dispatcher's calls of “Sir, sir.”
In the background, a voice calling for witnesses to step aside can be heard, as well as one man saying, “We have him. We got him.” Another voice says there were seven victims.
Later, the number of fatalities grew to eight. One woman remains in critical condition.
Prosecutors Friday charged Dekraai with eight counts of felony murder and one count of attempted murder. Orange County Dist. Atty. Tony Rackauckas said he will seek the death penalty in the case.
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-- Nicole Santa Cruz
Photo: Two technicians in protective gear prepare to clean up a crime scene at Salon Meritage in Seal Beach on Thursday. Credit: Jae C. Hong / Associated Press
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