By Gina Yarbrough
Fallbrook, CA–A 76-year-old man was arrested in connection with a deadly shooting Friday afternoon that killed one person, and injured three people at a nursery in Fallbrook, authorities said.
The suspect was identified as Enrique Barajas Gutierrez. He was taken into custody at the scene of the shooting without incident and transported to the Fallbrook Sheriff’s Station for processing. He was later booked into the Vista Detention Facility for murder, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department stated in a news release.
Investigators say the firearm used in the shootings was possibly a rifle, but the type and caliber are currently unknown.
Sheriff’s deputies responded to a call, just before 3 p.m., of an assault with a firearm at the Atkins Nursery, located in the 3100 Block of Reche Road in Fallbrook.
As deputies arrived on the scene, they located two victims just outside of a barn on the property. The victims had apparent gunshot wounds to their upper torsos. One victim is a 35 to a 40-year-old woman. The other victim is a 65 to a 70-year-old man. Both victims were taken to a local hospital. They underwent surgery and are expected to survive. Gutierrez is believed to be the father of the female victim, according to Sheriff’s Department Lieutenant Chris Steffen.
As deputies continued their search for a suspect, they located a 55 to 60-year-old male who was deceased inside the barn. The victim appeared to have gunshot wounds to his upper torso. While inside the barn, deputies contacted an individual who was later identified as the shooter in the incident.
The identity of the deceased man is known, but investigators will not release the victim’s information until the family has been notified.
“We are still identifying the relationship between Gutierrez and the other victims,” the Sheriff’s Department said.
Officers with the California Highway Patrol, Carlsbad, Escondido, and Oceanside Police Departments responded to the scene to assist deputies with the investigation.
Reche Road was closed for several hours between Old Highway 395 and Gird Road while authorities gathered evidence and talked to witnesses.
The Sheriff’s Homicide Unit has assumed responsibility for the investigation.
The motivation and circumstances are still under investigation.
