Santa Monica’s devastating loss
By Sonakshi Maheshwari
On June 7th 2013, gunman John Zawahri, 23, killed five people as he moved on towards the campus of Santa Monica College. His rampage began with his father, Samir, and brother, Christopher, as he shot them and lit their houses on fire.
Zawahri then moved in near a restaurant and shot sixteen bullets, although no one near him was hurt. He then moved in on the Santa Monica campus to avoid police but got into a violent fight, killing three others before he was confronted and fatally injured by officers.
Marcela Franco, 26, was in an SUV with her father, Carlos, 68, a college employee, when John Zawahri came on the campus. He opened fired on the car in which the Francos were driving, killing Carlos Franco. The car crashed into a wall, injuring Marcela, who passed away early the next morning at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.
His last victim was Margarita Gomez, a young college student who was involved in various campus activities and an active member of the student body.
The Santa Monica College Campus finally reopened to students on June 10th, 2013.
