A pair of violent incidents in Los Angeles County over the past weekend and early this week have left communities reeling, with law enforcement racing to piece together what happened and why. In two separate cases, a total of four people lost their lives and one man remains hospitalized, as authorities continue to search for answers and, in one case, a suspect still at large.
The first episode unfolded on Sunday, August 17, 2025, on a desolate stretch of desert road near Lancaster. According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, deputies responded to reports of gunfire around 4:48 p.m. near 215th Street East and East Palmdale Boulevard. What they discovered was, in the words of Los Angeles Times, a "gruesome scene." Three people—later identified as a 65-year-old woman, a 44-year-old man, and another man in his 40s—had been fatally shot in two separate vehicles.
Deputies found the woman in her 40s (later clarified to be 65) suffering from gunshot wounds inside a vehicle. Despite efforts to save her, she was pronounced dead at the scene by Los Angeles County fire personnel. Not far away, inside an SUV pulling a trailer, deputies discovered two men, both also dead from gunshot wounds. Sheriff’s Lt. Steven De Jong told local media, “Simultaneously, deputies located an SUV that had a trailer attached to it and located two additional males suffering from gunshot wounds. They were pronounced deceased on scene as well.”
Details remain scarce as to what led up to the violence. Investigators believe the shooter approached the victims by car, opened fire, and then drove off, as reported by KABC-TV. No suspect description has been released, and the shooter remains at large. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Homicide Bureau, led by Lt. De Jong, is handling the investigation, which is still in its early stages. Authorities have urged anyone with information to contact their office or submit anonymous tips to L.A. Crime Stoppers.
While Lancaster residents grappled with the shock of the triple homicide, another violent episode was unfolding just hours later in Huntington Beach and South Gate—two cities nearly 30 miles apart but now tragically linked by a burst of gunfire and a police pursuit. On Monday, August 18, at about 7:15 a.m., shots rang out in the parking lot of California Closets, a business in the 5900 block of Skylab Road in Huntington Beach. Witnesses described hearing as many as six gunshots, followed by screaming. FOX 11 reported that the victim, a man whose identity has not been released, was found injured outside a pickup truck and was taken to UCI Medical Center. According to police, he was conscious and talking when transported, though his current condition remains unknown.
The suspect, identified later as 29-year-old Lucero San Pedro-Castro of Baldwin Park, fled the scene. For nearly two hours, law enforcement scoured the region for any sign of her. Around 9:30 a.m., officers in South Gate spotted a 2022 Toyota Corolla believed to be linked to the earlier shooting. As police pulled the car over in the 8600 block of San Carlos Avenue at Firestone Boulevard, the situation escalated quickly. According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, which is conducting an independent investigation, the woman produced a gun when confronted by officers. Police opened fire, striking San Pedro-Castro at least once. She was rushed to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Authorities have yet to provide details about the relationship between San Pedro-Castro and the man she allegedly shot in Huntington Beach. The motive for the shooting is also still unclear. However, a source told FOX 11 that the suspect may have been a recently terminated employee of California Closets, though this detail has not been officially confirmed. The business, shaken by the violence, announced it would be closed until further notice. In a statement shared with CBS News Los Angeles, a spokesperson for California Closets said, “We are extremely saddened by this morning's shooting onsite at our Orange County location in Huntington Beach, CA. Our hearts are with those injured or otherwise impacted, and we wish them a full recovery and strength for their families and community.”
Images from the South Gate scene showed police vehicles surrounding a dark gray sedan, evidence markers scattered around the driver’s side. The rapid escalation from workplace shooting to fatal police encounter has left many questions unanswered. As NBC Los Angeles noted, "Officials have not specified the nature of the relationship between the man and woman." The shootings at both Huntington Beach and South Gate remain under investigation.
Meanwhile, in Lancaster, the triple homicide has rattled the quiet high desert community. Residents have expressed shock at the violence. Authorities have not released the names of the victims, but they have confirmed their ages and the circumstances of their deaths. The Sheriff’s Department continues to urge anyone with information to come forward, emphasizing that the shooter is still at large and considered dangerous.
Both incidents highlight the challenges law enforcement faces in responding to sudden outbreaks of violence. In the Lancaster case, investigators are left with few leads and a community fearful that a killer is still on the loose. In Huntington Beach and South Gate, police must now answer questions about the use of deadly force, the chain of events that led to the confrontation, and the broader context of workplace violence.
Workplace shootings, while relatively rare, have become an all-too-familiar headline across the United States. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, workplace homicides accounted for 454 deaths nationwide in 2023, with disputes between employees, terminations, and domestic issues among the most common motives. In this case, the lack of clarity around the relationship between the suspect and the victim only deepens the mystery.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has asked anyone with information about the Lancaster shooting to contact its Homicide Bureau at (323) 890-5500. For those wishing to remain anonymous, tips can be submitted through L.A. Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477 or online. In Huntington Beach and South Gate, both the local police and the Sheriff’s Department are investigating the shootings, with updates expected as more information becomes available.
For now, families and communities in Lancaster, Huntington Beach, and South Gate are left to mourn and search for answers, as law enforcement works to unravel the threads of two violent days in Los Angeles County. The hope, authorities say, is that anyone with knowledge of these crimes will step forward—helping bring closure to the victims and accountability for those responsible.
