An attorney at a Long Beach law firm shot two of his fellow partners Friday, killing one, before turning the gun on himself, authorities said Saturday.
Coroner’s officials identified the gunman as John Mendoza, 58, of Redondo Beach. His victim was Major Langer, 75, of Rolling Hills, said Lt. Dave Smith of the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office.
Another shooting victim, a 64-year-old man, was also wounded in the attack. He was taken to an area hospital by a third party prior to police arriving.
“The third victim was shot in his upper chest,” Long Beach police Sgt. Brad Johnson told City News Service. “He’s in serious condition but is expected to survive. The gunman we believe died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.”
All three men were partners in the firm of Perona, Langer, Beck, Serbin, Mendoza and Harrison, which acquired the Larry H. Parker law firm years ago and shared the building where the shooting occurred, the Long Beach Press- Telegram reported.
The P-T said Beck was the third victim. According to the newspaper, which cited unnamed sources, the shooting occurred at a holiday party and happened after Mendoza had either been fired earlier that day or been fired before that and returned to the firm on Friday.
A source told CBS2 reporters that Mendoza was recently fired from the law firm and returned Saturday during a holiday event. He also reportedly told most of the employees to leave the building before he shot the two men and then himself.
A gun was recovered at the scene, police said.
Officers responded to a report of an active shooter at a law office in the 300 block of East San Antonio Drive in the Bixby Knolls area at 2:25 p.m. Friday. By 3:30 p.m., police said there was no longer an active-shooter threat at the location, and they later described the shooting as an act of workplace violence.
Police cordoned off the area and closed streets surrounding the business.
Long Beach police homicide detectives asked anyone with information regarding the shooting to call them at (562) 570-7244.
—City News Service