Santa Monica shooting suspect, possible motive identified, officials say

The gunman accused of killing four people in a Santa Monica shooting rampage Friday was apparently angry over his parents’ divorce and had some mental health issues in the past, a law enforcement source told The Times.

The suspect was identified by five law enforcement sources in Washington and Los Angeles as John Zawahri, in his 20s.

Other sources with knowledge of the investigation said detectives believe the shooting was sparked by a family dispute of some kind but emphasized that the investigation was still in its early stages.

The suspect’s past mental health issues occurred when he was juvenile, the law enforcement source said, but no further details were offered.

The sources all spoke on the condition of anonymity because the case was ongoing.

These sources said the alleged gunman’s first victims were his father and brother, whose bodies were found in a burning home.

…Jerry Cunningham-Rathner had just watched her son walk out the front door of her home a few minutes earlier when she heard the shots. She rushed outside, fearing he had been hit.

Instead, looking across the street, she saw a house engulfed in flames. A man standing in front of the house was dressed all in black, with an ammunition belt around his waist and a large rifle in his hands, she said.

“He looked like a SWAT officer,” she said.

Firefighters later found the bodies of two men inside the house. Police sources said the men were Samir Zawahri, 55, the owner of the house and the father of the alleged gunman, and one of his adult sons.

You have to wonder what makes a person suddenly snap and kill their family?