Man Kills Three, Self In Chula Vista Shooting

Gunfire at a South Bay retirement high-rise left four people dead Wednesday, including the suspect, who shot himself to death.

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The Fact's Of Wednesday's Shooting
The Shooting Brought Out Neighborly Love
The Mood Inside The Red Cross Shelter
Witnesses Describe Scene
Rep. Bob Filner Among Those 'Locked Down'

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Chula Vista Shooting

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Do We Need More Gun Control?

Shots first rang out at about 2:40 p.m. at Congregational Tower (pictured, left), an assisted-living facility at 288 F St. in Chula Vista, according to 10News. Police responded to the scene within five minutes. According to police, officers exchanged fire with the suspect when they first arrived. The suspect fired at least six shots at officers, according to Lt. Gary Wedge of the Chula Vista Police Department. The shooter has been identified as Eugene Molter, 68, who lived in an apartment on the 15th floor for the past six years, said Lt. Gary Wedge of the Chula Vista Police Department. Molter was in the process of being evicted and that may have prompted the shooting attack, Wedge said. Molter's victims have been identified as Ariel Ibarra, 72, and Albert and Pat Carignan -- believed to be the apartment's managers. The managers of the building, which caters to seniors on a fixed income, had recently raised rents by $100 a month and some residents were angry about the change. Another person is reported to have suffered a heart attack. One officer suffered minor injuries but police would not say how he was wounded. 'I Don't Know Why Someone Would Do This' For more than four hours, the area surrounding the building -- from E to G Streets and from 2nd to 4th Avenues -- was locked down by police while they searched for the gunman. Among those locked down in the neighborhood was Congressman Bob Filner, D-Calif., whose offices are nearby "I'm locked in the office watching the whole thing," Filner said in a telephone interview with 10News. "There are some constituents here. They had a longer meeting then they wanted." Several residents waited just outside an area cordoned off police and waited anxiously for news about family members trapped inside. "I'm really worried about my husband. I've tried calling but nobody answered," Sylvia Lopez, 63, who lives in the complex with her 66-year-old husband, Roberto said. Several other residents said they also called family members in the building and got no answer. Some in the area were oblivious to what was transpiring in the building. "I just heard some pop-pop-pop and I didn't think much of it," said Steve Sullivan, 36, who was teaching a class for medical assistants. "But then I saw a procession of police cars and the SWAT team came through." The San Diego area has been hit hard by a succession of shootings in recent months. Two teenagers opened fire in separate incidents last month in schools east of the city. "I don't care what age you are -- first it was the schools, now it's the senior center -- it doesn't matter what economic group or ethnic group, we're all vulnerable. We all have to be together in solving this," Filner said. "There are just so many bad things happening right now," witness Erica Kimball told 10News. "I don't know why someone would do this." Previous Stories:

• April 12, 2001: Four Dead In Chula Vista Shooting
• April 12, 2001: Four Killed In Chula Vista Shooting