Man Fatally Shot by Son After Killing Three in Rowland Heights

ROWLAND HEIGHTS, CA - Four people were shot dead at a home in unincorporated Rowland Heights on New Year’s Eve, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office in Walnut-Diamond Bar.

Walnut Sheriff’s deputies responded to the location for a “gunshot victim” call and found four victims, a 27-year-old male, a 48-year-old woman, a 54-year-old man and a 54-year-old woman suffering from gunshot wounds. The victims were pronounced dead at the scene.

According to the sheriff, sometime during the evening the 54-year-old man “took a handgun and shot the other victims.” The suspect’s 33-year-old son, identified by the Los Angeles Times as Christopher Morey was able to wrestle the gun away from his father and fatally shot him. He was arrested for the murder of his father and is being held in lieu of $1,000,000 bail.

The murder weapon, a semi-automatic handgun was recovered at the scene. Authorities said they do not know why the 54-year-old suspect shot at the victims.

Lt. John Corina told the Los Angeles Times prosecutors will decide whether Christopher Morey will be charged with a crime. Corina said investigators were trying to determine what led to the shooting but said that everyone in the group had been drinking at the time. He added that investigators were trying to determine if the shooting had anything to do with a dispute over a washing machine between Morey’s girlfriend and his father.

Morey’s father reportedly shot dead Morey’s bedridden mother, Morey’s girlfriend and his friend.

The victims were not immediately identified.