9-year-old boy among victims of Southern California mass shooting: authorities

LOS ANGELES, April 1 (Xinhua) -- A 9-year-old boy was among four victims killed in Wednesday's mass shooting in U.S. Orange County in Southern California, authorities said Thursday.

The boy was one of the two victims found by police officers in the courtyard area of a business complex in the city of Orange where the mass shooting happened, according to the Orange Police Department.

The police department said in a release posted on its Facebook page that an adult female who had also been shot was found with the boy.

Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer told reporters Thursday during a press conference that the boy died in the arms of his wounded mother who was trying to save him during the bloodshed.

The Orange Police Department said it received multiple reports of shots in the city at approximately 5:30 p.m. local time (0030 GMT). Officers were unable to enter the courtyard of the business complex initially because the gates were locked from the inside by the suspect with a bicycle-type cable lock.

Officials said that two officers engaged the suspect from the outside of the gates and an officer-involved shooting occurred. Upon entry, officers located the suspect who was injured and taken into custody.

The female victim and the suspect were transported to a local hospital where they both remain in critical but stable condition. Officers quickly began a systematic search of the complex and located three deceased victims, including two adult women and one adult man.

Police said that the suspect has been identified as 44-year-old Aminadab Gaxiola Gonzalez with a last known address in Fullerton, a city located in northern Orange County.

Investigators recovered several items at the scene including a semi-automatic handgun and a backpack containing pepper spray, handcuffs and ammunition which are believed to belong to the suspect, according to the police.