Residents at Casa Grande Senior Mobile Estates in Santa Maria say they are shaken up after what they call a safe and quiet neighborhood was turned into a multiple homicide crime scene on Friday.
A shooting and explosion rocked the neighborhood around noon, leaving four people dead and a number of questions for investigators.
“Bang, bang, bang, bang, like the place blowing up,” resident Steve Rehm said.
“That’s where my father-in-law works and people were saying two workers got gunned down so my heart drops right then and there,” said Jun-Jun O’Campo, whose family member was working on site.
Police continued to investigate on the 500 block of West Taylor Street Friday night following the murders and the destruction of three homes. Several other homes were also damaged.
Santa Maria Police Lt. Paul VanMeel spoke to KSBY Friday evening.
“Various crime scenes were located and as of now we have four decedents at two different locations within the mobile home park and we have yet to notify next of kin on all of them, we actually have yet to identify two of them, so this is an ongoing investigation,” VanMeel said.
Following the shooting and explosion, residents were shocked this happened in a place they call home.
“I’ve been here about three years, and we have had no trouble. It’s a very quiet place, all the neighbors are friendly,” Rehm said.
While distraught, residents of the community say they will be resilient and are confident that their neighborhood will return to being the safe place they have always known.
There was much speculation in the neighborhood about the shooter and the events that led up to Friday’s deadly incident. People who knew him said he was not friendly and kept to himself. However, police have not yet confirmed his identity nor what led to the shooting.
