The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department today gave more details about a shooting that left three people dead inside their Lakewood home on Thursday. They said a man fatally shot his wife and his 17-year-old daughter, tried to shoot his 19-year-old daughter and then turned the gun on himself.
In a statement, the department said the 19-year-old daughter was awoken by gunfire around 8 a.m. inside the family’s home in the 5800 block of Lorelei Avenue.
Her father “then appeared near her armed with a handgun and shot at her several times; however, she was not struck by the gunfire,” the department said. He “then shot himself while standing near his 19-year-old daughter.”
She called 911, and deputies rushed to the scene, where she briefly told them what had happened before they went into the house, according to the LASD.
John, a neighbor who asked to be identified by only his first name, described a tense scene when deputies first arrived. We saw them enter the house with protective shields and weapons drawn; they emerged, looking “dejected,” according to John,
Inside, authorities said, they found the gunman lying in the home’s den with a fatal wound to his upper body. His wife and 17-year-old daughter were in separate bedrooms, also deceased.
Lakewood City Councilmember Todd Rogers called the murder-suicide “a very tragic day for our community.”
The Sheriff’s Department identified the gunman as 52-year-old Hector Lionel Alfaro. They did not provide the names of his deceased wife and daughter.
Detectives are still investigating. The department did not provide any information about what may have motivated Alfaro.