Two men, Gary Garcia and Timberland Wayne McKneely, have been charged with four counts of murder and two counts of attempted willful, deliberate, premeditated murder in connection with a series of shootings in southeast Los Angeles County.
The shootings, which occurred overnight Sunday into Monday, left four people dead, including a minor. Authorities described the killings as a “random murder spree” and were able to connect the incidents to the same Honda Pilot vehicle being seen near each crime scene.
The suspects, believed to be gang members, are facing special circumstance allegations of multiple murders and shooting from a motor vehicle causing death. District Attorney Gascón expressed condolences to the victims’ families and emphasized that the violence will not go unanswered by the justice system.
Crime Incident in Los Angeles (Credits: Los Angeles Times)
Garcia and McKneely were scheduled to be arraigned Thursday, but their court date was rescheduled to February 29. Prosecutors are seeking to have the suspects held without bail and they face a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted.
Authorities believe there may be one additional man involved in the shootings who has not been taken into custody. Two of the victims have been identified as Kevin Parada, 24, and 14-year-old Javier Pedraza Jr.
Another teenager was wounded in the shooting that killed Pedraza and is now in stable condition. Garcia has an extensive criminal history, while McKneely has none.
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