A crazed gunman who shot dead eight people in an upmarket beauty salon in California allegedly went on the rampage after losing a custody battle over his son.
Scott Dekraai the ex-husband of one of the stylists, allegedly shot nine hairdressers and customers at Salon Meritage, just blocks from the Pacific Ocean in the upscale seaside resort of Seal Beach.
His ex-wife, Michelle, is also reportedly among those killed. Dekraai, 42, who used to serve in the military, is said to have threatened violence after losing a court case against her over their child.
The battle with Michelle Fournier Dekraai was over the custody of their seven-year-old son, Dominic. She claimed in court filings that he was unstable and physically abusive to her in their marriage.
Three people, including a 73-year-old retired nurse called Hattie Stretz, were initially rushed to hospital in critical condition. Ms Stretz's condition is improving, reported the Los Angeles Times, but the other two have since passed away.
Ms Stretz's daughter Laura Webb was reportedly among those killed. One of the other victims is thought to be the salon owner, Randy Fannin.
In all, one man and five women died at the salon; one man and one woman died after being transported to a nearby hospital; and one woman - Ms Stretz - was seriously injured.
Local youth soccer team Beach Futbol Club identified a fourth victim - after Ms Fournier Dekraai, Ms Webb and Mr Fannin - as Michelle Fast, who is a mother of a player. The identities of the other four victims are not yet known.
Orange County authorities rushed to the scene and seized Dekraai in a traffic stop a half-mile from the shooting on Wednesday.
The alleged shooter, who lives locally, was thought to have been wearing body armour during the attack. When officers raided his car they found multiple weapons, police said.
He didn't offer any resistance when arrested and police would not confirm any relationship between the man and any of his victims.
Seal Beach Police Sergeant Steve Bowles said: 'We believe he is the only shooter. He was taken into custody without injury.'
As the town struggled to come to terms with the shocking killing spree, witnesses said the gunman was embroiled in a domestic dispute over custody with his ex-wife who worked as a stylist at the salon.
Jake Rennison, 17, told the Orange County Register that Scott had once asked him to teach his son to skateboard. He added: 'He was totally devoted to his son. Totally.
'I can't believe this happened. The only thing I can imagine is with the custody battle. His son was his life.'
Dekraai is said to have moved to the area two years ago after being honourably discharged from the military because of a work-related leg injury.
'There are victims throughout the entire salon,' Sergeant Bowles added.
The shooting is reportedly the deadliest mass killing in Orange County history. Among the victims is thought to be the owner of the salon.
Randy Fannin died in the shooting, according to his niece, Tami Scarcella, 39. 'Randy is dead,' she said while hugging a friend. 'Randy is dead for sure.'
Kimberly Criswell, who owns a salon just two doors away, said she and her customers and employees heard gunshots, and her receptionist saw a man through a window as he was shot in a parking lot.
'There was like a pop, pop and my receptionist screamed, "he just shot that man" and we all ran into the bathroom and locked the door,' Criswell said.
A middle-aged woman called Cindy was having her hair done by Mr Fannin when the gunman opened fire. 'We thought it was maybe firecrackers,' she told the Los Angeles Times.
'But he just didn’t stop. Anybody he saw he was shooting. It went boom, boom, boom. I was afraid he was going to shoot everybody.'
Mr Fannin allegedly confronted the gunman before being told to 'shut up' as he continued firing.
'I could still smell gunpowder in the air,' witness Riley Riggs, 27, told the Los Angeles Times, adding that the gunshots were followed by an 'eerie silence' for several minutes.
Zach Benson said patrons at the restaurant where he works ran outside when the shooting began. It just caught everyone off guard,' he told NBC Los Angeles. 'It was a very bizarre scene.'
Shortly after he was arrested, police arrived at a house on Melody Lane in nearby Huntington Beach and escorted two women to a white car and then roped off the house with crime scene tape.
Neighbours identified photos of the alleged shooter as their neighbour Scott. The house is registered to Scott Dekraai, and one of the licensed cosmetologists at the salon was Michelle Dekraai.
Kari Salveson of Los Alamitos, who attended a service for the victims at SeaCoast Grace Church in Seal Beach, said she had known Michelle Dekraai for several years.
She said she was aware that she and her ex-husband were involved in a bitter custody dispute over their son. Ms Salveson added Michelle Dekraai made her every visit to the salon special.
'She could gab away. She was one of those girlfriends you could never get enough of. She made you smile and she made you laugh,' Salveson said.
Several people who knew Michelle Dekaai also said she sometimes went by her maiden name of Huff and it was unclear which one she was currently using.
The one remaining injured victim is being treated at Long Beach Memorial Hospital.
Some of those inside managed to escape without harm, police said. Sergeant Bowles said the bodies of the killed and the wounded were scattered throughout the salon.
One wounded man was found outside the building. It wasn't clear if he was trying to flee when he was shot.
'We're unsure at this point if he shot from the entrance and people, as they were shot, ran in seeking cover or seeking shelter, but we have fatalities throughout the salon,' he said.
'From my observation, it did look like people were seeking shelter at the time.'
He said the salon was busy, with every hair-dressing station in operation.
Salon employee Lorainne Bruielle, who wasn't working on Wednesday, told the Long Beach Press-Telegram the gunman was the husband of another employee.
Ms Bruielle said she talked to the husband of one of the employees involved, who said one employee locked herself in the salon's facial room and was unharmed while another man locked himself in a bathroom but was wounded.
The shooter was spotted fleeing from the scene when police arrived and gave himself up after a short car chase.
Lydia Sosa, who used to work at the salon, said the suspect had gone through a bitter divorce with one of the women who worked there.
'They were never happy for a long, long time,' she told the New York Times. 'She said he was bitter. He was very bitter.'
A local man named Bill Horton added: '(It was a) custody battle for seven-year-old son. Ex-Husband lost court case yesterday. Apparently he had been making threats of violence.'
One of her neighbour's told KTLA she took out a restraining order against her former husband on Tuesday.
Another neighbour, Jo Cornhall, added: 'I know there was a custody battle involved with his son, Dominic, who I believe is 7 or 8 years old.'
Dekraai, who worked on tugboats after being discharged by the military, is said to have walked with a limp after a boat accident.
He allegedly remarried Mindy Miguel, his rehab nurse.
She is currently assisting detectives with their investigations, according to neighbours.
Workers in neighbouring businesses said they hid in the bathrooms after hearing shots.
One woman said she was working at a nail salon and hid with about six other people for 15 minutes until they heard the gunman was caught.
The three people who were not killed instantly were rushed to hospital in critical condition.
Patients at the hospital said the victims were rushed inside in a horrific state.
'They were bringing them in, and they were all bloodied up,' Biagio Zaby, 67, told the Times.
'One got shot in the face. One got shot in the chest. They took one in for a CAT scan. They said "Code Blue," which is not a good deal.'
The shooting happened at about 1.30pm today. Those hit included hair salon employees and customers.
Police had the murder scene roped off last night.
The quiet beachfront city of approximately 25,000 residents identifies itself as the Gateway to Southern California's Orange County and is located about 30 miles southeast of Los Angeles.
Among its famous residents are 'Miss Congeniality' film star Sandra Bullock.
It is home to Leisure World, a gated senior citizen community of 9,000 people, as well as the Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station military complex.
The city had just one homicide last year and none during the previous three years, according to statistics compiled by the Police Department.
Regulars at the salon reacted in horror when they heard about the shooting.
Kalie Ann wrote on Twitter: 'I go to Salon Meritage all the time and I was just there last Thursday. I can't believe something so horrible happened there.'
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