Are these mass killings even a surprise anymore? RIP
Eight killed in massacre at Orange County hair salon as crazed gunman 'targets hairdresser ex wife'
* Gunman, named as ex-military Scott Dekraai, in custody after going on shooting spree at hair salon where ex-wife worked
* Thought to have lost custody court case over son the day before shooting
* Eight dead, including wife Michelle, in worst mass murder in Orange County history
* Salon owner Randy Fannin, among those dead, said to have confronted the gunman before being told to 'shut up'
* 73-year-old woman among those seriously injured
* Only one previous murder in last five years in the quiet area in California - where actress Sandra Bullock lives
Eight people have been killed in a shooting at an upmarket beauty salon in California.
Scott Dekraai, 42, who is the former husband of one of the stylists, is said to have shot a total of nine hairdressers and customers at Salon Meritage, a beauty salon just blocks from the Pacific Ocean in the upscale seaside resort of Seal Beach.
Three people, including a 73-year-old woman, were initially rushed to hospital in critical condition, but two of them have since passed away. One of the victims is thought to be the salon owner. Dekraai's ex-wife, Michelle, was also reportedly among those who were killed.
Dekraai, who used to work in the military, had allegedly threatened violence after losing a court case against Michelle Huff over the custody of their seven-year-old son, Dominic.
Distress: Onlookers react near the site where six people were killed and three were wounded in a shooting at a hair salon in Seal Beach
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 remained in critical condition.
Orange County authorities rushed to the scene and seized Dekraai in a traffic stop a half-mile from the shooting.
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 he was arrested.
Seal Beach Police Sergeant Steve Bowles said: 'We believe he is the only shooter. He was taken into custody without injury.'
Witnesses said the gunman was embroiled in a domestic dispute over custody with his ex-wife, Michelle, who worked as a stylist at the salon.
The pair are thought to have a seven-year-old son named Dominic.
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.
Police in Seal Beach would not confirm any relationship between the man and any of his victims.
'There are victims throughout the entire salon,' Sergeant Bowles added.
'There are survivors from inside the salon. A crime of this magnitude is not something Seal Beach is familiar with.'
Hands tied: Police officers stand with a man, who was held in a patrol car at the scene of the arrest of a suspect near the Salon Meritage
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 down from the scene of the shootings, 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.
Police confirmed that one of the victims is male.
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 LA Times.
Tragic: Salon owner Randy Fannin, left and right, was killed, while his wife and co-owner Sandy, far right, was also in the store but it is not known whether or not she survived
Stylist: One of the salon's hairdressers, Lisa Powers, who is thought to have been at work when the gunman started firing
Unsuspecting: Stylist Irma Acosta at Salon Heritage in Seal Beach poses with a customer
'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 is said to have confronted the gunman before being told to 'shut up' as he continued firing.
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 and was aware that she and her ex-husband were involved in a bitter custody dispute over their son.
She said 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.
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.
Distraught: People gather at a site for friends and relatives of the victims of the deadly shooting
Staying strong: Friends of the victims huddle near Salon Meritage in Seal Beach, California
'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 Wednesday, told the Long Beach Press-Telegram the gunman was the husband of another employee.
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.'
Gasps: A police officer talks to people outside the salon after the fatal shooting
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.
Upmarket: Investigators inspect the salon after the shooting, which left six dead and three in critical condition
Unsuspecting: The home of Scott Dekraai, the only suspect in the Salon Meritage shooting
Arrested: Scott Dekraii has been taken into custody following the shootings
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' 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.'
Murdered: Six people are thought to have been killed during the shooting at the beauty salon in Seal Beach, California
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