On Wednesday, Sept. 12, Javier Casarez killed five people and then committed suicide shortly afterwards. Sheriffs of Bakersfield, Calif., consider this a mass-shooting. It is not often that they see six people shot and dead in one incident. Approximately 30 people witnessed the shooting of the victims and are still being interviewed about exactly what happened that day.
Casarez took the life of his wife and four other Bakersfield residents in what was thought to be a deliberately planned shooting spree which may have had something to do with divorce proceedings or an unsettled child support dispute. According to CNN, the police are still unsure of the shooter’s motives.
It is believed that Casarez forced his soon-to-be-ex-wife, Petra Maribel Bolanos De Casarez, 45, into a white Nissan Maxima, and drove to T&T Trucking, arriving at approximately 5:15 p.m. He then confronted Manuel Contreras, one of the employees, and proceeded to shoot him with a .50-caliber gun. He then shot and killed Bolanos. Another man by the name of Antonio Valadez fled the business and was chased by Casarez to a hunting equipment shop in close proximity to T&T Trucking. Casarez pulled out his gun and killed Valadez, making him his third victim.
After taking three lives, Casarez further pursued his rampage and arrived at a nearby house, shooting and killing Eliseo Cazares, 57, and his daughter, Laura Garcia, 31. It is believed that Garcia tried to prevent Casarez from reaching her father, but failed to do so.
Casarez escaped by hijacking a car with a woman and a child inside, but ended up letting them go, claiming that he is actually a “good man,” according to CNN. Casarez made it to the highway and spotted a deputy, who pulled him over into a lot. The deputy began to approach him, drawing his weapon, but Casarez drew his gun and fatally shot himself in the stomach.
Deputies and investigators are still looking into what the Casarez’s motives are, and what his connection to T&T Trucking is. Authorities believe that the crime was deliberately planned and mapped out, as all locations are within minutes of one another. It is most likely more than just a husband and wife having a dispute over divorce proceedings, and there is more to the story, especially since other lives were taken.
The crime will continue to be investigated until the local Bakersfield police department gets to the root of the events. Hopefully what they learn can help prevent other events like this from happening in the future.
“Unfortunately we still see domestic violence framed as a ‘personal issue’ or a ‘family problem,’” Caity Meader, Family Services of Tulare County CEO told USA Today. “Those of us who work with survivors every day know that it’s a serious problem that affects our entire community.