Pregnant Woman Killed, Six Injured in California Spirit Halloween Store Shooting
A gunman remains at large following a shooting Friday night that left a 31-year-old woman dead and multiple others wounded inside a seasonal costume shop.
A Spirit Halloween store in Fairfield, California, became the scene of a fatal shooting Friday night, resulting in the death of a pregnant 31-year-old woman and injuries to six others. The suspect has not been identified and no arrests have been made, according to the Fairfield Police Department.
The deceased has been identified as Constance Hages. Authorities stated that her family reported she was pregnant at the time of the incident.
Of the injured, three men aged 16, 19, and 32 were hospitalized in critical condition. A 23-year-old man is in critical but stable condition. Two other victims, a 19-year-old man and a 43-year-old man, were treated for gunshot wounds and have since been released.
Horrific video footage captured by witnesses inside the store shows shoppers scrambling for cover as gunshots rang out. One witness, 15-year-old Jocelyn Lopez Tabares, told the New York Post that she recorded the moments, fearing for her life. She described hearing screams and people running as she and her sister hid.
Another witness, Miena Davis, recounted hearing a mother crying out for her child amidst the chaos. Javier Espinoza assisted other shoppers in escaping by lifting a security gate. Janet Jacobo, who was with her three sons, fled the store with her youngest child, later attempting to calm her children by calling the event a "scary show."
The Fairfield Police Department stated Saturday morning that the incident is believed to have been a "targeted incident involving one suspect inside the Spirit Halloween store." The investigation is ongoing, and authorities are urging the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious activity.
In a separate incident on Friday night, a shooting occurred at another Spirit Halloween store in Madison Heights, Michigan, following an altercation between two men. One man died from his injuries, and a 9mm handgun was recovered at the scene. The other man sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was taken into custody. The suspect's wife claimed her husband acted in self-defense. Investigators anticipate criminal charges in this case.