5 shot, 3 dead in shooting in L.A. suburb

DOWNEY, Calif. — Five people were shot and three of them died Wednesday in connected attacks at a business and residence in a Los Angeles suburb, police said.

The shootings occurred after 11 a.m. at a business called United States Fire Protection Services and at a nearby home, where family members of the owner live, said Downey police Lt. Dean Milligan.

A woman was found dead at the home, and a man and a woman were killed at the business, he said. Two other shooting victims were in critical but stable condition at hospitals.

Milligan said police were looking for a gunman who apparently escaped in a black Camaro that belonged to a victim or a victim's family. A motive for the shooting is unknown and police said none of the surviving victims recognized the suspect.

United States Fire Protection Services is in an industrial area of Downey across from a bottling plant. The family-owned business sells professional firefighting gear and equipment such as hoses, valves and extinguishers, according to its website.

Blanca Parker, who works next door, said the owners were very friendly.

They were hard-working, Parker said. They worked seven days a week, 24-7.

Parker added the owners made security a top priority, even though the area was considered safe.