by Garth Meyer
A man allegedly fired shots at nearby cars from a second-floor balcony on North Irena Avenue and Vincent Street Saturday afternoon, July 23, before going back inside and fatally shooting himself.
Police responded to a “shots fired” call at 12:52 p.m. and cordoned off the area.
The man in his 50s used a handgun, firing an undetermined number of bullets at the parked vehicles. One of which was occupied. No one inside was hurt.
Officers from the Torrance Police Department used a small drone to enter the suspect’s house and search for any victims or people in danger.
As paramedics stood by, a S.W.A.T. team, which had arrived with an Armored Rescue Vehicle, then went inside to confirm what officers had seen with the drone, finding the man dead.
Residents in a one-block radius were asked to shelter in place for more than three hours during the incident.
Investigators ask that any witnesses who may have information contact Redondo Beach Police Detective Jonathan Keener at (310) 379-2477, Ext. 2046.
Anyone experiencing suicidal thoughts, or knowing of such a person, may call 988 – the newly-shortened number for the National Suicide Prevention lifeline.
“We think this is so horrible that it happened on a quiet street in a good neighborhood. And, it is, it’s horrible,” said Vanessa Poster, a neighbor on Irena. “But the real tragedy is that this sort of thing happens all the time. No one is immune from mental illness, or gun violence, or random tragedy.”
After the July 23 incident, a day later, the Irena neighborhood went ahead with an already scheduled Second Annual Food and Fun Fest, with more than 50 people in attendance.
“We need to start talking about these issues as human issues and come up with resources and solutions that are beyond partisanship,” Poster said. “Connecting with people as we did at our block party on Sunday is the first step.” ER
