Shootout Kills 1, Injuries 3 Koreans in S. California

A deadly shootout left one dead and injured three others at the Kkottongnae Retreat Camp in Temecula, California, yesterday. Two of the wounded are reportedly in critical condition.

Police said all of the victims were Koreans presumed to be at least 40 years old.

News reports said police rushed to the retreat at 7:23 p.m. Tuesday after hearing that a man shot his wife. An elderly Korean man in his 70s who was wounded is reportedly the suspect.

The gunman is believed to have moved around the facility in the assault considering that the victims were shot at different locations. Police, however, had difficulty identifying victims and figuring out what happened due to the language barrier.

The scene of the assault was sealed off, while several women in blankets were seen sitting at the scene.

A staff member of the Kkottongnae Retreat Camp in Korea`s North Chungcheong Province said, “The shootout occurred at the U.S. facility where Korean Catholics pray, and three Catholic nuns from Korea are based there permanently.”

“Communication with the retreat was cut off by local police in the U.S.”

surreal@donga.com