Luis Fernando Aguiar, a 91-year-old resident of Pasadena, California, was tragically killed on July 12, 2014, during a violent shooting rampage. The incident occurred in the 1700 block of North Summit Avenue, where Aguiar was shot inside his home around 4:20 p.m. He was pronounced dead at the scene approximately an hour later. This tragic event marked the beginning of a series of shootings that resulted in the deaths of three individuals, including Aguiar's daughter, Maria Teresa Aguiar, and a
good Samaritan, Jose Hernandez Iribe.
The alleged gunman, John Izeal Smith, a 44-year-old man, was identified and apprehended by the police. Smith had a long-standing relationship with the victims, and the motive for the shooting was believed to be related to a landlord-tenant dispute. During the rampage, Smith also shot at a police officer who was attempting to assist Maria Teresa Aguiar, but the officer was not injured. Smith eventually barricaded himself in a home and called the police, confessing to the killings. After a 20-minute negotiation with a crisis negotiator, Smith surrendered to the Pasadena SWAT officers.
Following his arrest, John Izeal Smith was charged with three counts of capital murder, with special circumstances of multiple murders, and a special allegation of personally and intentionally discharging a rifle. He was also charged with three counts of attempted murder, including the attempted murder of a police officer. The case proceeded to court, where Smith pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder and one count of second-degree murder. In February 2017, he was sentenced to 181 years to life in state prison for his crimes.
The investigation into the motive behind the shootings revealed that the dispute between Smith and the Aguiar family had been ongoing for some time. The tragic events of July 12, 2014, left a lasting impact on the Pasadena community, highlighting the devastating consequences of unresolved conflicts and the importance of addressing such issues before they escalate into violence.
