GUILTY CA - Eight killed, 1 injured in Seal Beach salon shooting, 12 Oct 2011

[JoeFromLB]

The D.A. related how the suspect targeted the other victims believing they were enablers of his ex-wife. He moved methodically through the salon shooting the victims in the head and chest, pausing to reload.

He also described how the 8-yr old son heard of the news. He was in the principal's office waiting to be picked up from school. I can't even imagine the pain and confusion this boy will experience.

 

[gitana1]

A quote from the article posted above:
These types of threats need to be taken seriously. There is a lot of good information out there regarding red flags for workplace violence, but it's probably impossible to get the word out to all employees. I only wish everyone knew the warning signs and would report it to their employers when they hear threats from other employees or their own family members regarding the workplace. Of course this shooting is only the fault of the ex-husband and I'm not blaming anyone for not reporting this threat. Just wishful thinking about how we in society could prevent these horrible mass murders.

I heard on KFI that his threats were, indeed, reported. That Ms. Fournier actually was granted a restraining order days or a day before the shooting as a result of his threats. Sadly, restraining orders are not always the protection we hope they will be.

The D.A. related how the suspect targeted the other victims believing they were enablers of his ex-wife. He moved methodically through the salon shooting the victims in the head and chest, pausing to reload.

He also described how the 8-yr old son heard of the news. He was in the principal's office waiting to be picked up from school. I can't even imagine the pain and confusion this boy will experience.

Oh, this just kills me. Poor little, kid. What is his life going to be like? His mom murdered and his dad jailed as a mass murderer. Thanks, dad.

Here's the booking photo of the creep. May he rot. Look at him!:

http://www.kfiam640.com/pages/BillCarroll.html

 

[Reader]

The D.A. related how the suspect targeted the other victims believing they were enablers of his ex-wife. He moved methodically through the salon shooting the victims in the head and chest, pausing to reload.

He also described how the 8-yr old son heard of the news. He was in the principal's office waiting to be picked up from school. I can't even imagine the pain and confusion this boy will experience.

Condolences to all the family and friends of the victims. So true, JoeFromLB, about the effect of this tragedy on the son. I hope he can receive counseling but this act of revenge by his father will haunt him the rest of his life. I'm also thinking about the current wife of this 'man', she must be devastated also. I noticed in your link, the killer is actually smiling in his booking photo! Guess he is very proud that he accomplished what he set out to do.

From another link about the conference I agree with this quote:

"That little boy's a victim," the prosecutor said. "Now his mother has been murdered, and he has to grow up knowing that his dad is a mass-murderer. So what kind of sick, twisted fatherly love might that be?"

http://www.centurylink.net/news/read.php?rip_id=<D9QC7JVG2@news.ap.org>&ps=1011

I'm glad to see that the schools made announcements and reassured the students:

Principal Bill MacDonald walked into Sofia Oratowski's fifth-grade class Thursday, stood on a chair and spoke of a community heartbreak.

"He said there was a tragedy in Seal Beach, but 'You guys shouldn't be scared here at school because they already put him in jail,'" the 10-year-old recounted after school. "He asked us to be extra nice to people today and to support people who might be upset."
-----

Counselors and psychologists were available Thursday at every school in Los Alamitos Unified School District, but extra ones were on hand at McGaugh and Los Alamitos High School, where students' relatives were caught in the mass killings, said Sherry Kropp, district superintendent.

"Many of the victims are very well known in the schools," Kropp said.

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/school-321857-parents-students.html

 

[Saffron]

I heard on KFI that his threats were, indeed, reported. That Ms. Fournier actually was granted a restraining order days or a day before the shooting as a result of his threats. Sadly, restraining orders are not always the protection we hope they will be.

Thanks, I didn't know that. Do you know if the threats were reported to the owners of the salon? Because I was thinking that if the threats had been reported to the owners, then they could have called the police themselves and maybe hired armed security until the guy's threats were checked out and dealt with.

 

[gitana1]

The victims:

Victoria Ann Buzzo, 54, of Laguna Beach, reportedly a salon employee;
David Caouette, 64, of Seal Beach, a bystander who was shot outside the salon;
Laura Lee Elody, 46, of Huntington Beach, reportedly an employee who had recently married and who many people knew as Laura Webb;
Randy Lee Fannin, 62, of Murrieta, the owner of the salon;
Lucia Bernice Kondas, 65, of Huntington Beach;
Michelle Daschbach Fast, 47, of Seal Beach;
Michelle Marie Fournier, 48, of Los Alamitos, a hair
stylist and the ex-wife of the alleged shooter, Scott Dekraai; and Christy Lynn Wilson, 47, of Cerritos, reportedly a salon employee.
The ninth person shot Wednesday was Hattie Stretz, 73, the mother of Elody, who was last listed in critical condition but improving at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center, according to police. She was one of three victims to be taken to the hospital, but the other two died there.

http://www.presstelegram.com/ci_19106106?source=pkg

 

[gitana1]

Michelle Fournier

Salon owner Randy Fannin

http://www.presstelegram.com/ci_19106106?source=pkg

 

[gitana1]

Thanks, I didn't know that. Do you know if the threats were reported to the owners of the salon? Because I was thinking that if the threats had been reported to the owners, then they could have called the police themselves and maybe hired armed security until the guy's threats were checked out and dealt with.

I guess the report was wrong because I just read another report which states it was mistaken. That she had attempted to seek one in 2007, but that the latest court activity involved Ms. Fournier filing something against him stating he violated the custody agreement by attempting to pick up their son early. Possibly, that's partly what set him off: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lan...ctims-tried-to-hide-or-play-dead-da-says.html

 

[gitana1]

Here's a link to raw video of the press conference in which the DA announces he's seeking the death penalty. DA Rackauckas gets teary-eyed during it.http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/l...r-Shooting-Scott-Evans-Dekraii-131858328.html

 

[Thundar]

My thoughts are with those who lost loved ones, friends, family members, and community members.

How does a community recover from that, I mean they will go on but will they ever be as trusting as they once were?

Thank you to all who posted the news stories and the personal stories, I am sitting here in shock just thinking about what one person can do that affects so many. It even affected me sitting here thousands of miles away reading this terrible tragedy. I work in a public place and I am now feeling totally vulnerable. I can't imagine what that community is feeling.

 

[JoeFromLB]

I doubt there will be much of a smile remaining on his face after a few decades on Death Row.

 

[JoeFromLB]

Attorney says suspect is not getting his meds in jail:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap...j96Mzw?docId=0d22b09ecaf344899a506e33624add0b

Here we go! Insanity defense in 3...2...1...

 

[Inspector Gidget]

This article talks about the shooting and shows pictures of the victims.It sure brings to light the reality of this crime.So sad looking at these faces and then asking why? And I think Dekraai should be made to stand a life full of torture.Water boarding comes to mind.Death would be an easy way out for him.Make him suffer everyday,wish it could be that way

http://www.seattlepi.com/news/artic...ing-at-popular-shop-2217304.php#photo-1668897

 

[gitana1]

I guess the report was wrong because I just read another report which states it was mistaken. That she had attempted to seek one in 2007, but that the latest court activity involved Ms. Fournier filing something against him stating he violated the custody agreement by attempting to pick up their son early. Possibly, that's partly what set him off: http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lan...ctims-tried-to-hide-or-play-dead-da-says.html

This article has a full account of the court events between the murderer and Ms. Fournier. The L.A. Times rarely gets their facts wrong, so this is probably the one to read: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-1014-seal-beach-gunman-20111014,0,2813337.story

My thoughts are with those who lost loved ones, friends, family members, and community members.

How does a community recover from that, I mean they will go on but will they ever be as trusting as they once were?

Thank you to all who posted the news stories and the personal stories, I am sitting here in shock just thinking about what one person can do that affects so many. It even affected me sitting here thousands of miles away reading this terrible tragedy. I work in a public place and I am now feeling totally vulnerable. I can't imagine what that community is feeling.

I know. I can't stop thinking about it. I too was feeling vulnerable afterwards. But I have on many occasions in public places over the years because of these mass shootings.

I just have to tell myself that it is very hard to predict and this kind of rampage is thankfully rare.

But this one is so close to home. I've been so sad, every day about it.

For anyone who hasn't seen it, the D.A.'s press conference is very good. Rackauckas really laid it out, with compassion - much like he did at the press conference announcing the arrests of the two cops who murdered Kelly Thomas.

At about minute 6:15 or so, in the tape I linked to above, the D.A. can barely talk, and seems overcome with emotion, his lips trembling, as he talks about the poor son of Fournier and the shooter, waiting in vain for a parent to pick him up that day. Too bad the child's own father couldn't muster up enough care and love and emotion for his son as the D.A., who never even knew him, has.

Here is a link to several L.A. Times blogs (they all are on one page), which discuss the shooting and the arraignment of the murderer. One article discusses how family members shouted "coward" and "I hate you!" at the murderer. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/salon-shooting/

There is a great slideshow on this link: http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Seal-Beach-911-Audio-131887443.html

It shows Fournier with her beautiful son.

BTW, for any who are confused, there are two booking photos of the murderer. One, is when he was first booked into the Seal Beach station. The second - in which the &*#!#% is smiling, is when he was booked into the larger, Orange County jail. I despise him.

Here's another article that outlines some of the court dealings and the murderers actions prior to the massacre. It also talks about how some father's rights activists are supporting the murders and advocating more of the same!

At the outset, we should note that the AP reports Dekraai actually had primary custody of his 8-year-old child &#8212; he had the boy 56% of the time while his ex-wife, Michelle Fournier, had 44%. But Fournier was pushing for "final decision-making authority" over his son's education and physical and mental healthcare. In a December hearing, a court-appointed psychologist testified that the current custody agreement was working and should not be altered, and the judge indicated that Dekraai's requests would not be met. Fournier later said Dekraai had called 911 and "advised that he was going to kill himself or someone else." In the weeks leading up to the shooting, he allegedly came to the salon and threatened to kill Fournier and her coworkers. Said her brother of his reaction to the shootings, "The worst part about it was seeing the news and seeing the awning and knowing exactly what happened without even hearing a word."

http://jezebel.com/5849925/mens-rights-activists-come-out-in-support-of-salon-killer

 

[gitana1]

Attorney says suspect is not getting his meds in jail:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap...j96Mzw?docId=0d22b09ecaf344899a506e33624add0b

Here we go! Insanity defense in 3...2...1...

Yup. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lan...-shooting-da-expects-an-insanity-defense.html

 

[SophieRose]

Here's another article that outlines some of the court dealings and the murderers actions prior to the massacre. It also talks about how some father's rights activists are supporting the murders and advocating more of the same!

http://jezebel.com/5849925/mens-rights-activists-come-out-in-support-of-salon-killer

That judge and psychologist are lucky he didn't come after them too.

 

[BrownRice]

Yup. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lan...-shooting-da-expects-an-insanity-defense.html

Thanks for all of your posts and insight into these cases. These are just so sad. It always makes me realize that these custody cases were no longer about the kids - it's more of revenge against the former spouse/partner.

 

[JoeFromLB]

Here comes the media spin...suspect had a 'rough' life:

http://news.yahoo.com/california-salon-shooting-suspect-had-rough-life-164735938.html

 

[Thundar]

Here comes the media spin...suspect had a 'rough' life:

http://news.yahoo.com/california-salon-shooting-suspect-had-rough-life-164735938.html

And he has made it so his own son can now claim a rough life. Too bad those eight people won't get a chance to experience any kind of life now because of the suspect. I am not feeling very sorry for the dude.

 

[Leila]

Oh my gosh. my friends know many of the dead, as well as the shooter. They are all in shock. To use their words it is surreal and their lives have come to a complete halt.
They are helping each other and the families as much as possible-but this is going to be a long road for all.
Bless them all.

I've been following this in the local news and am so sorry for your friend's loss. It's so totally unexpected and a complete shock to family and friends. This is such a senseless loss....................

 

[Ambercat]

Here comes the media spin...suspect had a 'rough' life:

http://news.yahoo.com/california-salon-shooting-suspect-had-rough-life-164735938.html

His biological father, Terry Dekraai, who played football at the University of Southern California with OJ Simpson, was hardly in the picture and his mother, Michelle, and stepfather had trouble raising him

That's alarming...I just realized that I grew up living across the street from his [Scott Dekraai] paternal grandparents/family. I talked to my parents and they both remember Terry and Michelle visiting Bill and Wanda (Terry's parents) and his many siblings across the street. Neither could remember a kid, though. I don't remember any of this at all; I was really really young.

On the day of the shooting (I live right on the border between Long Beach and Seal Beach), it seems like the sirens and helicopters were going until the small hours of the morning. This is extremely sad and alarming.