John Zawahri’s 2013 Santa Monica Mass Shooting
Overview
On June 7, 2013, 23-year-old John Samir Zawahri carried out a rapid, multi-site attack in Santa Monica, California. He shot and killed his father and brother at their home, set the house on fire, carjacked a motorist, fired on a city bus and police cruiser along Pico Boulevard, and then attacked the Santa Monica College (SMC) campus. Police fatally shot Zawahri inside the SMC library, ending a roughly 13-minute spree. Six people died in total, including the perpetrator; four others were injured.
Timeline of the Attack (June 7, 2013)
11:52 a.m. PDT: Authorities receive the first reports of shots fired and a house fire at 2036 Yorkshire Avenue, Santa Monica, where two men are later found dead from gunshot wounds.
Shortly after: Zawahri, armed with a self-assembled AR-15–type rifle and carrying a revolver, forces a woman at gunpoint to drive him toward Santa Monica College. En route, he shoots at Big Blue Bus #4057 carrying approximately two dozen passengers and also fires at a police cruiser.
On campus: Upon arrival, he fires into a Ford Explorer, killing the driver and mortally wounding the passenger, then continues on foot toward the library, where he shoots another victim outside and fires inside the building.
~12:05 p.m.: Officers confront and shoot Zawahri inside the SMC library; he is pronounced dead outside moments later.
Weapons and Method
Zawahri used an AR-15–style semi-automatic rifle he built from components despite being legally prohibited from possessing firearms, and he carried a .44-caliber revolver. On campus he fired at least 70 rounds and dropped a duffel bag of ammunition before being engaged by SMC and Santa Monica Police officers.
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