Man who shot three, killing one, at El Cajon dental office may have been disgruntled patient
One person was killed and two wounded when a man opened fire Thursday afternoon in a San Diego County dental office.
Mohammed Abdulkareem, 29, was arrested several hours after the incident, according to authorities, who say he may be a disgruntled patient.
The shooting took place shortly after 4 p.m. in the 400 block of North Magnolia Avenue in the city of El Cajon in eastern San Diego County, according to authorities.
Shortly afterward, the El Cajon Police Department posted to social media about an “active shooter event” in the community, about 20 miles from downtown San Diego. Authorities identified Abdulkareem as the suspect and said he should be considered “armed and dangerous.”
Emergency scanner reports said the shooting took place at a dental center. Sgt. Eric Thornton confirmed to The Times that one person died and two were wounded.
Yosemite National Park said it was closing through at least noon Sunday because of an epic blizzard bearing down on the Sierra Nevada.
On Friday, the Anti-Defamation League in San Diego said it had been in touch with law enforcement because the person who died was a member of the Jewish community but said there were no indications that the shooting was hate-related. In a statement, the El Cajon Police Department confirmed that there was no clear indication that the shooting was “racially or politically motivated.”
Police said they believe Abdulkareem was a disgruntled patient at the dental office.
Abdulkareem was seen after the shooting driving a U-Haul pickup truck with Arizona license plates. Police provided an image of the vehicle that was captured by plate-reading software at the scene of the shooting.
He was spotted around 9 p.m. by a citizen who called the San Diego Police Department, according to authorities. Police found the pickup truck parked near 6th Avenue and Quince Street in San Diego. Abdulkareem was found nearby a short time later. At the time of the arrest, he was armed with a loaded handgun and several loaded magazines, police said. The gun was legally purchased by Abdulkareem two weeks before the shooting.
He was booked into a San Diego jail on felony charges, including one count of murder and two counts of attempted murder. Charges may be added pending the investigation.
“The El Cajon Police Department mourns with the family and friends of the deceased victim and extends heartfelt condolences to those injured in yesterday’s senseless and evil act of violence,” El Cajon Police Chief Mike Moulton said in a statement.
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