Carlos Pierre Zaragoza, a 33-year-old resident of Los Angeles, California, tragically lost his life on July 25, 2019, in a violent incident that shocked the community. The events unfolded in the early hours of the morning when Carlos was fatally shot by his younger brother, Gerry Dean Zaragoza, in their family apartment located in Canoga Park. The shooting spree began shortly before 2 a.m., when Gerry opened fire on his family members, killing both Carlos and their father, Carlos Ignacio
Zaragoza, aged 56. Their mother, Blanca Zaragoza, was also injured in the attack but survived with a wound to her hand.
Following the initial shootings, Gerry Zaragoza continued his rampage across the San Fernando Valley. Approximately 45 minutes after the attack on his family, he traveled to North Hollywood, where he shot and killed his former girlfriend, Azucena Lepe, and wounded another man outside a Shell gas station. Gerry's violent spree did not end there; he attempted to rob a man outside a Bank of America in Canoga Park and later, around 1 p.m., shot and killed another man on an Orange Line bus in Van Nuys. This final victim was a stranger to Gerry, and there appeared to be no interaction between them before the shooting.
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) launched an extensive manhunt to apprehend Gerry Zaragoza, deploying officers across the San Fernando Valley and sharing his photo widely on social media. The search culminated around 2:30 p.m. when officers from the LAPD and FBI joint fugitive task force spotted Gerry walking on Canoga Avenue near Gault Street. Despite commands to surrender, Gerry refused, and authorities used a Taser to subdue him.
Gerry Zaragoza was subsequently charged with multiple crimes, including four counts of murder, two counts of attempted murder, and one count of attempted robbery. The charges were filed by the Los Angeles County district attorney's office on July 29, 2019. The case drew significant media attention due to the brutal nature of the crimes and the fact that the perpetrator targeted his own family members. The motive behind Gerry's actions remains unclear, leaving the community grappling with the senseless loss of life and the devastating impact on the Zaragoza family.
