A teenage girl was shot and killed inside a home in Arcadia, California, on Thursday, and the 20-year-old man she had been dating was later found critically injured from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in nearby Pasadena, authorities said.
Arcadia police responded to the 800 block of West Huntington Drive around 11 a.m. after receiving a report of a possible shooting. A caller said a man inside the residence had fired a gun. Officers arrived to find the teenage girl suffering from a gunshot wound; she was pronounced dead at the scene. Police have not released her identity.
Authorities said the suspect, identified as Paul Anthony Cruz Jr., allegedly forced his way into the home and opened fire before fleeing before officers arrived. Investigators believe he made his way to Pasadena, where he attempted to take his own life roughly an hour later.
Pasadena city spokesperson Lisa Derderian told the Los Angeles Times that Cruz was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound at around 12:30 p.m. He was taken to a hospital in critical condition.
A witness told the Times that several people saw the shooting unfold in broad daylight on a Pasadena sidewalk. The witness said he saw the man lying face down and that police arrived within seconds.
“It was really fast,” the witness said.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said Cruz shot himself just as Pasadena police officers were preparing to make contact with him. Authorities have not released further details about what led to the shooting at the Arcadia home or the circumstances surrounding it.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Sheriff’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. Those who wish to remain anonymous can contact Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or visit lacrimestoppers.org.
