El Cajon, California – A shooting in El Cajon on Thursday afternoon resulted in the death of one person and left two others injured, leading to the arrest of the suspect, the police confirmed.
After the suspect’s U-Haul pickup truck was located near Balboa Park at Sixth Avenue and Quince Street, San Diego police officers apprehended the suspect in the vicinity, as detailed by Capt. Rob Ransweiler of the El Cajon Police Department (ECPD).
The incident took place at a dental office near the intersection of Magnolia and Madison avenues around 4:15 p.m., prompting a response from El Cajon police.
According to Ransweiler, there were three victims in total, with a male individual being fatally wounded, while a man in his 40s and a woman in her 20s sustained injuries and were transported to nearby hospitals. All victims were shot with a handgun.
Jose Antonio, the father of one of the victims, identified his daughter Yareli, a 27-year-old front office employee at the dental office, as one of the wounded individuals.
The suspect, 29-year-old El Cajon resident Mohammed Abdulkareem, was identified by the ECPD as armed and dangerous, having fled the scene in a white U-Haul pickup truck with an Arizona license plate. Law enforcement responded swiftly, with multiple police cars and officers present at the scene conducting a search.
Ransweiler mentioned that the shooting occurred within the dental office, necessitating officers to move the deceased male outside to administer life-saving measures due to the active nature of the crime scene.
Residents in the area, like Sarkar Shiro, expressed shock at the unprecedented violent incident, emphasizing that the neighborhood typically maintains a relatively peaceful atmosphere.
The investigation remains ongoing, conducted in collaboration with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the FBI to gather more information and ensure the safety of the community. Future updates will be relayed through official channels to disseminate relevant information to the public.