Three members of a family were killed in a shooting inside a Lakewood, Calif., home, authorities said. A fourth person who was shot at inside the residence survived.
Deputies from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Lakewood Station responded around 8 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 15, to a report of an assault with a deadly weapon, Lt. Daniel Vizcarra said during a morning press conference.
The victims were identified as 52-year-old Hector Lionel Alfaro, his 48-year-old wife, and the couple’s 17-year-old daughter, ABC 7, NBC Los Angeles, and CBS News reported Friday, Jan. 15.
A 19-year-old inside the home was also shot at but was not hit, officials said. Her identity, as well as the name of the 17-year-old who was killed, was not released during Thursday’s briefing.
At the press conference, authorities said the young woman was “extremely distraught” as she ran out of the residence in the 5800 block of Lorelei Avenue.
Vizcarra said deputies arrived to find “two females and a male” with gunshot wounds to their upper torsos. All three were pronounced dead at the scene.
While answering questions from reporters, Vizcarra was asked whether investigators had ruled out a murder-suicide scenario.
“There is no outside threat. There is no threat to the community at this point,” he said, adding that investigators had not ruled anything out.
He also said the 19-year-old had not yet been interviewed at the time of the briefing, and that it was still too early to determine whether there was any history of domestic violence at the home.
Authorities confirmed a gun was recovered from inside the residence.
“Obviously this incident is a tragedy to the City of Lakewood,” Capt. Dan Holguin said. “Lakewood is one of the safest cities in L.A. County.”
Holguin said the shooting appeared to be “an isolated incident” and that there were no public safety concerns at that time.
Authorities were alerted after a 911 caller reported she had been asleep when she woke up to gunshots and then saw her father near her, firing several shots at her, ABC 7 reported, citing the sheriff’s office.
She was not struck, officials said. The father then shot himself, according to the sheriff’s department, per NBC Los Angeles.
NBC Los Angeles also reported that the bodies of the wife and the couple’s youngest daughter were found in separate bedrooms.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500.
