Authorities: LA freeway shooting suspect a "loner" and "gamer"

This undated image provided by the Tustin Police Department shows Ali Syed, a suspect in a series of shootings Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2013 in southern California.

/ AP Photo/Tustin Police Dept.

TUSTIN, California The shooter who went on a violent rampage in California earlier this week has been described by authorities as a "loner" and a "gamer," CBS LA reports. The Orange Country sheriff's department has been investigating 20-year-old suspect Ali Syed since he allegedly shot five people, three fatally, before turning the gun on himself.

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"He spent a lot of time alone in his room playing video games," said Orange County Sheriff's department spokesman Jim Amormino.

There is still no known motive in the case and law enforcement officials are now trying to determine whether Syed, an unemployed part-time college student, was under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

The first victim in Tuesday's shooting spree was identified as 20-year-old Courtney Aoki. She was shot multiple times around 4:30 a.m.  in Syed's home. The relationship between Aoki and Syed is still unknown.

After allegedly killing Aoki, Syed fled the home he shared with his parents in an SUV.

His mother, Sarwat Syed, called 911 after hearing shots downstairs from her third floor bedroom.

The Orange County Sheriff's Department released a recording of that phone call in which a frantic Sarwat told the dispatcher that someone was in the house.

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Syed reportedly carjacked a number of vehicles across the cities of Orange, Tustin and Villa Park after he left his parents' home.

Authorities said he shot and killed two people and injured at least three more before turning the gun on himself. Sheriff's department spokesman Jim Amormino said an autopsy confirmed Syed died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. The gun belonged to Syed and was purchased by his father a year ago.

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Syed's family is heartbroken by the situation, according to family attorney Vincent John LaBarbera Jr.

"Their thoughts and prayers go out to the families of all the victims," he said. "They will continue to assist authorities in the investigation as they themselves try to make sense of this tragedy. The Syed family has much to overcome in the months ahead and we ask that you respect their privacy at this time of tremendous sorrow."

Earlier this week, another grisly crime was linked to gaming when authorities told CBS News correspondent Bob Orr they believe Adam Lanza may have been acting out fantasies from a video shooting game when he killed 26 people at the Sandy Hook Elementary School last December.

[Donnie_G]

VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN went so far as to suggest that Americans who want a gun for self-protection should "get a double-barreled shotgun." Ok, lets take his logic a step further: People who want to own their own cars should be willing to settle for a horse and buggy. Why not?

Mental Health Records and the National Criminal Instant Background Check System (NICS):

All retail sales of firearms currently require a NICS check, no matter where they occur. It is a federal felony to lie or otherwise make false statements on a NICS. IT'S THE LAW.
DO YOU REALLY THINK THAT CRIMINALS AND LUNATICS OBEY OUR LAWS? WHY DO YOU THINK WE LABEL THOSE PEOPLE AS CRIMINALS AND LUNATICS IN THE FIRST PLACE?

According to a recent General Accounting Office study, as of 2011 23 states and the District of Columbia submitted less than 100 mental health records to NICS; 17 states submitted less than ten mental health records to NICS; and four states submitted no mental health records to NICS. WHERE'S THE DATA SHARING TO SUPPORT NICS?

In 2010, the FBI denied 72,659 NICS checks out of a total of 14,409,616. But only 62 of these cases were actually prosecuted, and only 13 resulted in a conviction. SO WHAT WAS ERIC HOLDER AND THE DOJ DOING ALL OF THIS TIME? WE'LL NEVER KNOW!

Hear are some more words from the Vice President's lips to your ears: VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN says that the government doesn't have the time or resources to prosecute those people that are caught breaking this long time federal law (NICS), so the government doesn't bother to enforce this FEDERAL LAW.

So here we have a good law (NICS) already on the books that isn't being enforced at any level. The next time you find yourself wondering why are there so many bonafide lunatics running around shooting people?-- JUST ASK JOE!