John Zawahri and the 2013 Santa Monica Shooting Spree
Overview
John Samir Zawahri was responsible for a deadly shooting and arson spree in Santa Monica, California, on June 7, 2013. The violence began inside his family home and continued through several city streets before ending at Santa Monica College. During the approximately thirteen-minute attack, Zawahri killed five people, wounded others and fired at motorists, a public bus, police officers and people on the college campus.
Zawahri was 23 years old and one day away from his 24th birthday. Investigators concluded that he had prepared extensively for the attack. He carried a privately assembled AR-15-style semiautomatic rifle, a black-powder revolver, numerous loaded magazines and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. He wore dark tactical clothing and a vest equipped with ammunition pouches, although the vest did not contain protective body armor.
The Murders on Yorkshire Avenue
The attack began at approximately 11:52 a.m. on Friday, June 7, 2013, at 2036 Yorkshire Avenue in Santa Monica. The house belonged to Zawahri’s family and was occupied by his father, 55-year-old Samir Zawahri, and his older brother, 24-year-old Christopher Zawahri.
Zawahri shot both men inside the residence. Samir Zawahri was struck multiple times, while Christopher Zawahri was shot in the chest. After killing them, Zawahri set the house on fire. Smoke and flames were visible when police officers and firefighters arrived. The bodies of the two men were discovered after firefighters brought the blaze under control.
The murders apparently followed a long period of conflict within the Zawahri family. John Zawahri’s mother, Randa Abdou, had been living separately from his father for years and was outside the United States when the attack occurred. Investigators later found a handwritten note on Zawahri’s body in which he expressed remorse for killing his father and brother. However, the note did not provide a clear explanation for his actions.
Carjacking and Shooting on Yorkshire Avenue
After leaving the burning house, Zawahri entered the street carrying his rifle and ammunition. He approached a woman driving a Mazda hatchback and forced her to stop at gunpoint. A second motorist, 50-year-old Debra Lynn Fine, saw what was happening and attempted to intervene.
Zawahri fired at Fine, seriously wounding her. She survived after receiving emergency medical treatment. Zawahri then forced the Mazda’s driver, 41-year-old Laura Sisk, to transport him toward Santa Monica College. Sisk later described how Zawahri entered her vehicle carrying the rifle and wearing dark tactical clothing. She remained trapped in the car as he continued firing from the moving vehicle.
Attack on the Big Blue Bus
While traveling toward the college, Zawahri fired repeatedly at vehicles and people along the route. Near the intersection of Cloverfield Boulevard and Pico Boulevard, he opened fire on Santa Monica Big Blue Bus number 4057. Approximately two dozen passengers were aboard the bus.
Bullets struck the bus and shattered windows. Several passengers suffered injuries, including wounds caused by gunfire or flying debris. The driver continued moving the bus away from the danger and helped prevent additional casualties. Zawahri also fired at a police vehicle as officers began responding to reports of shootings in different parts of the city.
The Shooting of Carlos and Marcela Franco
As Zawahri approached Santa Monica College, he saw a Ford Explorer occupied by 68-year-old Carlos Navarro Franco and Franco’s 26-year-old daughter, Marcela Diaz Franco. Carlos Franco was a longtime groundskeeper at Santa Monica College. Marcela was a student at the school and was preparing to attend classes.
Zawahri fired into their vehicle. Carlos Franco was struck in the neck and face and died at the scene. Marcela suffered a gunshot wound to the head and was transported to a hospital in critical condition. She remained hospitalized until June 9, 2013, when she died from her injuries. Her death increased the number of victims killed by Zawahri to five.
Murder of Margarita Gomez
After leaving the car used during the forced journey, Zawahri continued on foot toward the Santa Monica College library. Outside the library, he encountered 68-year-old Margarita Gomez. Gomez regularly collected recyclable cans and other materials around the campus and was known to members of the college community.
Zawahri shot Gomez in the chest and abdomen, killing her near the library. Her death occurred as students, employees and visitors began fleeing or searching for shelter. Emergency warnings were issued, and the campus was placed under lockdown as police officers moved toward the sound of gunfire.
Attack Inside the Santa Monica College Library
Zawahri entered the Santa Monica College library carrying his rifle. Students and employees heard gunshots and attempted to hide under desks, inside rooms and behind bookshelves. Others escaped through emergency exits or windows.
Zawahri fired dozens of rounds inside the building. At one point, he directed gunfire toward a storage room where library employees had barricaded themselves. The door and surrounding area were struck, but the people hiding inside were not hit. Witnesses described a chaotic scene of gunfire, alarms and people running for safety.
Investigators determined that Zawahri fired at least 70 rounds while on the college campus. He left behind a duffel bag containing magazines, ammunition and an additional firearm. His equipment and the amount of ammunition he carried led police to conclude that the attack had been planned rather than committed spontaneously.
Confrontation with Police
Santa Monica police officers and Santa Monica College officers entered the library and located Zawahri. He exchanged gunfire with the responding officers as they moved through the building. Santa Monica Police Officers Robert Sparks and Jason Salas, along with Santa Monica College Police Captain Ray Bottenfield, fired at Zawahri.
Zawahri was struck multiple times and collapsed inside the library. Officers removed him from the building, where he died from his wounds. His death brought the immediate attack to an end, although law enforcement officers continued searching the campus for several hours because early reports suggested that another shooter might be involved.
No second attacker was found. Investigators eventually connected the house fire, street shootings, bus attack and college violence to Zawahri alone.
Victims Killed
- Samir Zawahri, 55 — John Zawahri’s father. He was shot multiple times on June 7, 2013, inside the family residence at 2036 Yorkshire Avenue in Santa Monica.
- Christopher Zawahri, 24 — John Zawahri’s older brother. He was shot in the chest on June 7, 2013, inside the Yorkshire Avenue residence.
- Carlos Navarro Franco, 68 — A Santa Monica College groundskeeper. He was shot and killed inside his Ford Explorer near the Santa Monica College campus on June 7, 2013.
- Marcela Diaz Franco, 26 — Carlos Franco’s daughter and a Santa Monica College student. She was shot near the campus on June 7, 2013, and died at a hospital on June 9, 2013.
- Margarita Gomez, 68 — A woman who collected recyclable materials around the campus. She was shot and killed outside the Santa Monica College library on June 7, 2013.
People Wounded
- Debra Lynn Fine, 50 — Shot and seriously wounded while attempting to intervene during the carjacking near Yorkshire Avenue.
- Big Blue Bus passengers — Several passengers were injured when Zawahri fired into bus number 4057 near Cloverfield and Pico boulevards. Some injuries were caused by gunfire or fragments, while others occurred during the confusion of the attack.
Planning and Weapons
Zawahri used an AR-15-style rifle that he had assembled from separately purchased components. Investigators reported that parts of the weapon required machining before the rifle could function. He also possessed a Pietta Model 1858 New Army black-powder revolver and an additional rifle component.
Authorities determined that Zawahri had previously been prohibited from purchasing firearms. In October 2011, the California Department of Justice informed him that he was ineligible to buy a gun. Despite that restriction, he was able to obtain parts and construct the rifle used in the attack.
Zawahri carried approximately forty ammunition magazines in his clothing, tactical vest and bag. The quantity of ammunition, his clothing, the assembled rifle and the deliberate movement from his family home toward Santa Monica College were cited as evidence that he had prepared for an extended assault.
Earlier Warning Signs
In 2006, while Zawahri was attending Olympic High School in Santa Monica, a teacher reportedly discovered him searching the internet for information about assault weapons and instructions for constructing explosive devices. School officials and law enforcement became involved, and concerns were raised about his behavior.
Zawahri later attended Santa Monica College and participated in an entertainment technology program. Accounts from people who knew him described him as quiet and socially isolated, although such descriptions did not explain why he eventually committed the murders.
Motive
Investigators never established one definitive motive for the shooting spree. The initial killings appeared connected to a family dispute, and the note found on Zawahri indicated that he understood he had killed his father and brother. He asked that his mother be cared for and referred to matters involving his father’s estate.
The note expressed regret but did not explain why he attacked unrelated people afterward. Authorities considered family conflict and possible mental-health problems as contributing factors. However, no official finding fully accounted for his decision to leave the burning house and conduct a public shooting spree.
Aftermath
Santa Monica College remained locked down while heavily armed officers searched classrooms, offices and other campus buildings. Students and employees were evacuated in groups after officers confirmed that individual areas were secure. The campus remained closed through the weekend and reopened the following Monday under increased security.
Memorial services were held for the victims, including Carlos and Marcela Franco, who were remembered together as a devoted father and daughter. College employees mourned Carlos as a hardworking groundskeeper, while Marcela was remembered as a student working toward a better future. Margarita Gomez was remembered as a familiar and gentle presence around the campus.
The June 7, 2013, attack left three families grieving and disrupted an entire community. Five victims were killed by Zawahri, several people were wounded, and the perpetrator was killed by police. The incident remains one of the deadliest episodes of violence in the history of Santa Monica and Santa Monica College.
