Fashion Island suspect charged in earlier mall shooting

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An Orange County man accused of opening fire from a parking lot at Fashion Island during the holiday shopping rush has been linked to a similar shooting barrage at the Newport Beach shopping center last year.

Nobody was struck by gunfire in either incident, police said, though two shoppers were injured in Saturday’s incident as alarmed patrons at the center scrambled for cover.

Marcos Sarinana Gurrola is set to appear in court Tuesday to face more than 60 felony charges, including counts for allegedly firing a semi-automatic handgun from a parking lot at Fashion Island in Newport Beach over the weekend, blasting off dozens of rounds, prosecutors said.

Gurrola, 42, has been charged with 54 felony counts of shooting at an occupied building and two felony counts of aggravated assault with sentencing enhancement for use of a firearm, in addition to 10 felony counts of negligent discharge of a firearm in the previous incident at the shopping center, according to a statement from the Orange County district attorney’s office.

If convicted, Gurrola, a security guard living in Garden Grove, faces a maximum sentence of 115 years in state prison, prosecutors said.

At about 4:30 p.m. Saturday, during the midst of holiday shopping, authorities said Gurrola drove his white Honda Civic to the Macy’s parking lot at Fashion Island, armed with a Glock .40-caliber semi-automatic handgun and six magazines of ammunition.

Prosecutors said he fired 54 rounds n the direction of the Macy’s building.

Two people -- a mother and her 4-year-old daughter -- were indirectly injured in the shooting, suffering minor injuries after being pushed by panicked shoppers, prosecutors said. None of his bullets struck the building.

Gurrola surrendered to Newport Beach police. At the time of his arrest, prosecutors said, he had ammunition for a variety of weapons, including .44 caliber, .380 caliber and .38 caliber, although he did not have any other weapons.

Prosecutors said that, following Newport Beach’s investigation, he has been linked to a previous incident on the afternoon of Nov. 16, 2011, in which he allegedly fired 10 rounds from a firearm, also in the parking lot of Fashion Island.

At that time, the shooting was reported to police but no suspects were identified.

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