Thursday, March 16, 2006
PISMO BEACH, Calif. (AP) -- A man armed with two handguns opened fire inside a Denny's restaurant during lunch hour Wednesday, killing two people and wounding a married couple before taking his own life, police said.
As many as 15 people were inside the restaurant at the time, authorities said. Many fled or hid in bathrooms for safety.
"The witnesses described him as coming in with a dazed look on his face; then they said he started shooting," police Chief Joe Cortez said.
The wounded couple were listed in good condition and expected to be released from a hospital, authorities said. Two of the dead were men in their 50s or 60s, and the third was in his 40s; it was unclear which was the gunman.
Investigators believed the gunman's motive could be unrelated to the restaurant or its employees after a witness told them about something the gunman said. They declined to give details. None of the victims worked at the restaurant.
The man, armed with a semiautomatic handgun and a revolver, began shooting within a few steps of the restaurant's front door, the chief said. It was unclear how many shots he fired.
Authorities were trying to determine whether the gunman had a history of mental illness or whether there were drugs or alcohol in his system, Cortez said.
Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.