Two California parents are being hailed as heroes after their attempts to save their children when a gunman started shooting inside their home, but two of the family members died of their wounds.
Inglewood police were conducting a manhunt for the gunman who opened fire on the parents and their four children early in the morning Saturday, CNN reported late Saturday night. However, early Sunday morning, other news sources said his body may have been found in a burning house where he lived behind the murdered family members.
Fili Lamas, a 30-year-old father and his 4-year-old son both died in surgery after the 4 a.m. attack incident. His wife, Gloria Jimenez, and two other children were also injured, said Inglewood Police Chief Mark Fronterotta.
Officers said Jimenez ran out of the house carrying her youngest child, although she had been shot in both legs. The boy, 4, was shot in the head and died Saturday in surgery. His mother remains in critical but stable condition.
Fronterotta said said the suspect, identified as Desmond John Moses, lived in a house at the rear of the family’s property. Police said Moses had had a dispute with the family, who lived on the same tract of property in a separate house.
Police said they believe Moses set his own house on fire, and late Saturday, a body was found in the house and believed to been his. Lt. James Madia said the body was found late Saturday after law enforcement searched the bungalow, and an autopsy will show if it’s Moses’.
Police and firefighters were called to the house after getting calls about the fire and about gunshots being heard. Firefighters couldn’t get in to fight the fire because they feared the gunman would be in the rear house.
Investigators didn’t identify a motive behind the shootings, and said the suspect wore a painter’s mask when he went to slaughter the family.