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Posted by: kwflatbed

The Associated Press



SANTA MARIA, Calif. --
Police have detained a man suspected of fatally shooting four men at a junk yard as onlookers watched, authorities said.
The victims were shot at close range Tuesday, Police Chief Danny Macagni told the Santa Maria Times. One victim was found outside Black Road Auto and three were found inside. All were dead when police and medics arrived.
Macagni called the shootings "very deliberate," and police said the suspect likely reloaded at least once during the attacks.
"There were probably a dozen people here when we arrived that had witnessed the shootings," Lt. Dan Ast told KCOY television. None of the bystanders was injured, police said.
The suspect was detained for questioning, but his name won't be released until he is arrested and booked, said Lt. Chris Vaughn.
The semiautomatic handgun used in the shootings was found at the scene.
"This is a case of workplace violence," the chief said without elaborating. "We have a lot of work to do here. We have a very large crime scene."
Santa Maria is a city of 92,000 people 150 miles northwest of Los Angeles, in northwestern Santa Barbara County.


Wire Service

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Posted by: Wolfman

Shame that Kalifornia makes it so difficult for citizens to carry arms, one of the "onlookers" could have easily ended the slaughter after the bad guy's first shot and the crime scene would have been much smaller.

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Posted by: kwflatbed

Possible Warning of California Junk Yard Shooting

The Associated Press



SANTA MARIA, Calif. --
The man accused of killing four people at an auto wrecking yard allegedly warned of the shooting a half hour before the carnage started.
The caretaker of Black Road Auto said Lee Isaac Bedwell Leeds called him Tuesday afternoon and told him "there's going to be a shooting" at the property.
Police on Wednesday said they arrested Leeds, 31, of Santa Maria, for investigation of murder. The shooting victims included his father, 66-year-old Robert Leeds, who owned the business.
Lee Leeds is being held without bail, police said.
Tony Stevens, a caretaker and security guard at Black Road Auto, said Lee Leeds called him at about 3:30 p.m. Tuesday to warn of the shooting. Stevens said Leeds told him: "'Listen to me careful: There's going to be a shooting.'"
Stevens said he panicked and drove to the wrecking yard, planning to call police when he got there.
Instead, he found the area cordoned off.
Leeds was involved in some type of dispute with at least one of the victims, but he refused to talk to detectives, police Chief Danny Macagni said at a news conference.
It wasn't known Wednesday whether Leeds had retained an attorney.
Leeds apparently was a driver for the business and might previously have been a co-owner with his father, police said.
Witnesses told investigators they saw Leeds enter the wrecking yard on the outskirts of Santa Maria, about 150 miles northwest of Los Angeles, about 4 p.m. Tuesday. Macagni said Leeds armed himself with a semi-automatic handgun that had been kept at the business and shot his father once in the chest.
He then walked through the property and shot two other people multiple times before shooting a fourth victim in the rear of the business, Macagni said.
The other victims were Terry Edward Majan, 37, an employee at the yard, and Richard Cardenas Leal, 33, a customer. A fourth victim, also an employee, was not identified because that person's relatives have not been notified, Macagni said.
In all, 17 shots were fired in the attack, he said.
Leeds was chased down by officers at the yard and taken into custody.


Wire Service

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