Two People Dead In Toys "R" Us Shooting

Two Men Armed With Handguns Started Shooting At Each Other In Crowded Calif. Toy Store

(CBS/AP)  Two people are dead in a Black Friday shooting at a crowded Toys "R" Us in Palm Desert, Calif.

City Councilman Jim Ferguson says police have told him that the victims were two men with handguns who shot each other.

The councilman says his question is: who takes a loaded gun into a toy store. And his answer is: "I doubt it was the casual holiday shopper." Authorities are still investigating but indicate the shooting may have been gang related.

One woman says she was in the store looking at coloring books with her two young boys when there was a commotion in the next aisle. She thought it was a scramble for a sale, then heard gunshots. She says her four-year-old grabbed her leg and said he didn't want to die.

The violence erupted on the traditional post-Thanksgiving start of the holiday shopping surge, but accounts of what occurred inside the store were fragmentary or second hand and it was not clear whether it involved any shopping frenzy.

The Palm Desert Police Department received calls of shots fired around 11:35 a.m., Riverside County sheriff's Sgt. Dennis Gutierrez said. He said officers were still investigating what prompted the gunshots.

Immediately after the shooting, about 20 people rushed into the World Gym across the street from Toys "R" Us, the gym's assistant manager Glenn Splain told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.

"They were crying, tearing and shaking," Splain said, adding that one woman came in cradling a baby.

"Some people got into a fight," said Splain, who spoke with some of the customers. "One of the guys here thought it was over a toy, but it got louder and louder and then there were gunshots."

Sarah Pacia of Cathedral City told The Desert Sun newspaper she was in the store with her two boys, ages 4 and 6, looking at coloring books when she heard a commotion in the next aisle. She thought it was people rushing to get a sale item. Then she heard three or four shots.

She said she froze, and store employees calmly escorted her out of the store.

"This is Toys "R" Us. There are kids shopping in there," Pacia said. Her son Jayden, 4, was clinging to her leg. He told her he didn't want to die, she said.

Toys "R" Us officials did not immediately return calls seeking comment.

Palm Desert is about 120 miles east of Los Angeles.

[dagojr810]

As an employee of toys-R-Us I think this really sad that two people decide to bring guns to a place where kids go to shop. The slogan is "Where a kid can be a kid" not where a adults can kill a each other.

[dagojr810]

As an employee of toys-R-Us I think this really sad that two people decide to bring guns to a place where kids go to shop. The slogan is "Where a kid can be a kid" not where a kid can kill a kid.

[eraser8818]

Posted by erasmus81

Yeah, you do. We''''ve had this conversation before, Erasmus...and you''''ve been shot down in flames so many times it''''s pathetic...

Posted by Rowdydfw at 01:02 AM : Nov 29, 2008


I see my posts were deleted, so I will repeat it again.

Yes, we have had this conversation before. And it was YOU that was shot down in flames. You were the one that took off with your tail between your legs, not me.

[chefdude3]

I am glad these worthless gangbanging idiots killed each other.It will save me a couple bullets I wont have to use later. It is sad that there were inocent people in the store.I hope the Riverside County Sherrifs Shakedown all the Gangs in this county and show these worthless humans that, that type of behavior will not be tollerated by the Law abiding citizens of our county.

[eraser8818]

Your military is sad, the only reason you can afford healthcare is because the U.S. defends you,


Posted by truthrocks1 at 02:37 AM : Nov 29, 2008

Protecting us? Hahahaha

You did a real bang up job of protecting your own on 9/11.

[cnsrv4l]

they where mexican

By News Channel 3

The two people shot and killed inside a crowded Toys "R" Us store in Palm Desert on the busiest shopping day of the year were identified late Friday.

Alejandro Moreno, 39, of Desert Hot Springs, and Juan Meza, 28, of Cathedral City, were killed around 11:30 a.m. at the store near Fred Waring Drive and Highway 111, which was jammed with parents and children buying Christmas gifts, said Dennis Gutierrez of the Riverside County Sheriff''s Department.

Authorities said the two apparently killed each other, as evidenced by two guns recovered at the scene and eyewitness acounts.

[cnsrv4l]

they where mexican

[swingset4u]

Bigots who post the outrageous comments such as the ones in this blog are the very people who, with their insidious belief systems incite this type of violence. It''''s a shame they are far too unintelligent to realize this.

Posted by dodee1221

Statistically proven. What say you loud mouth? Maybe you incited these two low life to fight with guns. How about that? dweeb. Whites are the minority in California bonehead.

[wl7bzh]

So, did you figure out their race, ace?

Posted by earache4 at 09:46 AM : Nov 29, 2008

Race, religion or sexuality is not the issue-the poor men doing the shooting were obviously victims of society. Just wait, Jackson or Sharpton will appear to defend(for a nominal fee or publicity) these poor victims.

[earache4]

weees - was a clue.
Posted by mr22587 at 09:38 AM :

So, did you figure out their race, ace?

[slim1h2o]

Dr. Suess''''s got nothing on me.....

Posted by earache4 at 09:26 AM : Nov 29, 2008

Oh what a time was had by all, in weeville,,Er,,I mean Whoville.

The Gangbangers and all....

[slim1h2o]

When you say ''''wee'''', do you mean ''''we'''' or ''''wii''''? (and really, don''''t you mean ''''me''''?)
Posted by earache4 at 09:15 AM : Nov 29, 2008

No, I think he meant "him" and not "you"

LOL

[earache4]

Then wee could see which race is involved in most crimes.
Posted by mr22587 at 09:06 AM

When you say ''wee'', do you mean ''we'' or ''wii''? (and really, don''t you mean ''me''?)

[willardzz]

This could''ve easily been much much worse, with multiple innocent bystanders getting killed by criminals.

So who brings a loaded gun into a toy store?

Every patriot patron of that toy store. Everyone who has taken it upon themselves to exercise the right to defend themselves and their community with lethal force if necessary.... Why doesn''t the mainstream media report on all the times a lawful citizen has stopped a lunatic criminal in his tracks before he can do harm to innocent bystanders? It literally happens EVERY DAY that firearms and the 2nd amendment are used to curtail crime and defend the sovereign individual citizens of this nation as well as others... even though the 2nd amendment exists (and rightly so) as a final check/balance against a tyrannical government, quartering of troops in homes or townships against the consent of the citizenry, etc....

[chad55555]

They killed each other,thank God no one else was hurt.PEOPLE ARE CRAZY IN TODAYS WORLD,you never know whatt to expect.

[wl7bzh]

Jobs are gettin scarce. With all this interest in guns maybe I should take a correspondence course in gun smithing?

[slim1h2o]

This is exactly the type of headline we will be reading in every local newspaper if people are allowed to carry handguns into schools. It is obvious that some "people" cannot distinguish what is a safe place to discharge a firearm, making even the civilized part of our society a target for their aner mismanagement!

Posted by excoachken at 07:58 AM : Nov 29, 20

Yup, typical rhetoric, paranoia inducing speech from the anti-gun freaks.

Here''s an idea, lets disarm America so that the criminals in this country will have easy pickings.

Much like the TV reporter in Ark. I suppose...

[wl7bzh]

I thrive on adventure.Bold enough to speak out publicly against gay activity.Not afraid. I fear a couple of things thogh and rightly so. God almighty and the ignorance of Americas failing moral standard.

Posted by Seer57 at 02:28 AM : Nov 29, 2008

You kinda remind me of John Wayne-He''s dead too.

[wl7bzh]

I''''d like to see your fine form, I dig Irish chicks, as an Irishman myself there is a decided lack of real island girls in this country;0)

Posted by truthrocks1 at 02:46 AM : Nov 29, 2008


Awh for crying out loud. Would you two love birds get a freakin room already?

[willardzz]

One more point: Most people who get shot DO NOT DIE, the human body can take more punishment than your elitist brainwashing wranglers would have you believe... yet look at the little boy in the article, sure he''s about to die... and all the adults shaking in their shoes simply because they heard a couple of gunshots... If that had happen in my city, in GA, far fewer people would''ve been so scared, because here people are armed... FINALLY: Take a look at Kennessaw GA''s mandatory gun law, requiring all able-bodied heads of households to have a firearm and ammo: 2 knife and 1 gun murder in like 15+ years, and burglary etc is almost non-existent there: An armed society is a polite society, the statistics support this. The police aren''t supermen and cannot just magically appear when you need them, the sad truth is they usually arrive in time to clean up the mess, after all the violence is said and done. You who are afraid to defend yourselves are a drain on police resources and should be taxed.