Six people killed at Yuma home

Sunday, June 26, 2005 | 10:13 a.m.

Officers responding to a call about shots fired in a residential neighborhood late Friday found a man with a gunshot wound in the back yard, said Officer Clint Norred, a spokesman for the Yuma Police Department.

The man, whose identity was not immediately released, later died at the hospital.

Police surrounded the home and evacuated the immediate neighbors. Many of the officers had their guns drawn for more than an hour before they entered the home, The Sun reported.

Once inside, police found a woman and four children dead. The children included a 9-year-old girl and three boys, ages 6, 11 and 12.

A police lieutenant said the killings were among the worst crimes in recent history in this community dominated by agriculture and a Marine Corps base about 25 miles north of the Mexican border.

"I cannot recall a homicide investigation that's involved this many victims," Lt. John Lekan told The Sun.

Police described it as one of the city's worst crimes in memory.

"It's a good neighborhood. I raised a family here, three girls, sent them to school here," said Rivas Williamson, 84, who lives only a few houses from where the violence occurred.

He said he heard what "sounded like it might have been a shotgun or hand grenade - shots or two bangs." He later saw the street lit up with police and rescue vehicles.

"I've lived here about 40 years; this is the first time I've ever seen anything like this," Williamson said. "I hate to see or hear anybody getting hurt, especially when they get killed like that, it's awful."

Norred declined Saturday to say whether the victims were members of the same family. He also declined to say how they died.

Police were still looking for a man seen running from the scene shortly after the shots were fired, Norred said.

The man was described as Hispanic, in his late 20s or early 30s with stocky build and buzz-cut hair.

Investigators were still trying to determine a motive for the shooting, Norred said.

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Information from: The Sun, http://www.yumasun.com