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by Dave Gradijan

Homeless Man Kills 2, Self in Calif. Restaurant Shooting

News
Mar 16, 20062 mins
CSO and CISOData and Information Security

On Wednesday, a homeless man entered a Denny’s restaurant in Pismo Beach, Calif., and opened fire, killing two men and wounding a married couple before turning a weapon on himself, the Associated Press reports via FOXNews.com.

Sixty-year-old Lawrence Edward Woods reportedly entered the restaurant looking dazed and speaking to himself, according to the AP. He had a semiautomatic handgun and a revolver, which he began shooting just after entering the establishment around lunchtime, scattering patrons into bathrooms and the kitchen for shelter, the AP reports.

The two deceased have been identified as 65-year-old Frank Velasquez of Oceano, Calif., and 73-year-old Harold Hatley of Grover Beach, Calif., according to the AP. Velasquez’s wife and 5-year-old great-granddaughter both were present when he was killed, the AP reports.

Police Chief Joe Cortez told the AP, “They were just enjoying an innocent meal.”

Cortex said authorities were still trying to determine a motive and whether Woods had a history of mental illness or if he was under the influence of narcotics or alcohol, the AP reports.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Velasquez’s wife said the shooter called out, “It’s all Mid-State Bank’s fault,” the AP reports.

The injured married couple have not been identified, though they were released from a hospital after receiving treatment for gunshot wounds, according to the AP.

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