1 killed, 2 injured in shooting at California dental practice

A shooting at a dental practice in El Cajon, Calif., left one person killed and two others wounded, according to a March 1 report by CBS News.

The suspect opened fire in the practice during the afternoon of Feb. 29 and was taken into custody that night following a manhunt. 

El Cajon Police Capt. Rob Ransweiler said one man died at the scene. The two other people were taken to area hospitals and are expected to survive. 

The gunman was armed with a handgun and fled in a pickup truck with Arizona license plates. The police did not provide a motive or elaborate on the circumstances of the incident. 

The police were able to use city surveillance cameras to identify the suspect and the vehicle, the report said.

Updated 3/4/24 at 9:29 a.m. CT:

The suspect in the shooting is believed to be a "disgruntled former patient," according to a March 3 report by CBS affiliate WJTV.

Police in El Cajon were called to Smile Plus Dentistry and Orthodontics on Feb. 29 and found three victims upon arriving at the scene. 

Benjamin Harouni, DDS, a dentist at the practice's El Cajon, Calif. location, was pronounced dead at the scene from gunshot injuries to the body. 

The other two victims were a man in his 40s and a woman in her 20s. Authorities did not release details on their injuries and association with the dental practice. 

Police said they found a loaded handgun that was legally purchased by the suspect two weeks before the shooting. The gunman is facing one count of murder and two counts of attempted murder, the report said.

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