NEWPORT BEACH (KTLA) — More information is surfacing about a man accused of firing more than 50 rounds in a parking lot at a busy shopping mall in Newport Beach on Saturday.
The suspect, identified as Marcos Gurrola, 42, was booked on a charge of shooting at an inhabited dwelling. He is being held on $250,000 bail.
No one was injured by the shots, which were fired either into the air or at the ground near the Macy’s department store around 4:30 p.m.
One person was hurt fleeing the scene, but the injury was not considered serious, authorities said.
After his arrest, Gurrola reportedly told police that he was “unhappy with life.”
Reports that Gurrola had been living in his car were accurate, Newport Beach police Lt. Jon Lewis said.
Online jail records listed Gurrola’s occupation as a “patrolman,” but Lewis said he had no additional details other than saying Gurrola did not work in law enforcement.
State records showed Gurrola was a registered guard/patrol person with the Bureau of Security and Investigation Services. That license expires in January 2013.
A handgun was also recovered at the scene, but police did not reveal any more details about the weapon.
The state’s landmark assault-weapons law, which went into effect in 2000, banned the use of handgun magazines with more than 19 bullets.
The mall was crowded with holiday shoppers at the time of the shooting.
Some stores were immediately locked down, and many shoppers posted messages on Facebook and Twitter saying they were locked inside.
Shopper Dena Nassef told the Los Angeles Times that she and another person were walking toward Macy’s when people started yelling and running.
“With what happened in Connecticut, we were freaking out,” she said. “It was like crazy, people leaving stores.”
Newport Beach police have said the incident was not related to the deadly shooting at a Connecticut elementary school the day before.
On Friday, a man opened fire at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., killing 20 children and six adults before turning the gun on himself.
The suspected gunman, Adam Lanza, 20, also killed his mother before the rampage began, police said.
23 Comments to “Suspect in Fashion Island Shooting “Unhappy with Life””
December 16, 2012 at 6:53 AM
Wow I know times are really tough it is for many of us but really this. we really need to figure out a better way then just shooting people down please lets do something different
December 16, 2012 at 7:30 AM
We are living in critical times, but now is the time to start gun control before we have another tragedy, I understand that many have them ,but please get rid of them .
December 16, 2012 at 9:12 AM
How do we stop criminals from getting them? They get them from illegal dealers everyday.
December 16, 2012 at 7:55 AM
Yeah sure it's an easy fix just get rid of guns……people are such morons!!! Then we would have the crazies doing the same thing with knifes or bombs
December 16, 2012 at 9:04 AM
Of course it should be easy if we had gun control ,but let's be real it is a big business but people who own them are the ones that need to give the first step, and I do not think that stores will ever sell bombs but I know they are still some crazy ones that make domestic ones.
December 16, 2012 at 8:53 AM
Here in the States, we need to look at making handguns harder to get. This is what is done today in Canada, Australia, and in parts of Europe.
December 16, 2012 at 9:05 AM
Are you for reals.
December 16, 2012 at 9:11 AM
I agree gun control is needed. But what I worry about is that people who really want to hurt someone can get guns…. hello criminals get them on the 'Black Market' everyday. How do we stop that because taking away guns from the good people means that we are now bigger targets for criminals who know everyday hardworking people are definetly not packing now.
December 16, 2012 at 9:16 AM
yes, but with a gun or assault rifle, it's easier to kill 50 -100 people at once.. with a knife, you could get to one or two people by the time others get you..
You really couldn't make that connection?
December 17, 2012 at 2:59 PM
50-100 people? Please show me a legal magazine with that sort of capacity. Especially here where we cant legally own a rifle that accepts a magazine higher then 10. The problem isn't guns or gun control its our society. If you are ever convicted of a felony you lose the right to own a gun yet; most violent crimes are by repeat offenders. How is gun control going to stop that? Are criminals suddenly going to think oh wait guns are illegal better use something else for this robbery?! Gun control targets the law abiding where the issue is the small population of citizens who engage in felonious acts. All you are trying to do is take away the right to defend. Vehicles still yield a higher annual mortality rate yet we aren't willing to ban them are we? Look at Mexico. All guns are illegal there yet whats going on? Oh right cartels are slaying cities left and right so I'm guessing they didn't get the memo about guns not being allowed. Yeah lets lead by example because that clearly is working well for them. Canada allows guns yet they have a marginal death rate compared to us. So again I say guns aren't the issue ignorant self righteous Americans are the issue. We feel the world and everyone owes us something and we will cry and moan to get the attention we deserve.
December 16, 2012 at 10:59 AM
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December 16, 2012 at 2:41 PM
Can you make the connection that a knife isn’t a control on centralized Tyrannical Government? You want to drink your Camomile Tea in a 600 sq ft Agenda 21 Apartment eating GMO food? Being told the quota for Children is filled – no breeding for your genotype?
December 17, 2012 at 9:24 AM
Well I believe John Hickley was programmed to give Bush 1 power in the Reagan’s Presidency – if not kill Reagan outright. And I believe JFK was killed because of the Federal Reserve – Oswald programmed. So to get rid of private weapons I can believe same about these incidents.
December 17, 2012 at 9:27 AM
I don't like this
December 18, 2012 at 12:44 PM
This guy thought he had problems before, he's really got them now…..