Crime & Safety

Local Resident Killed In OC Massacre

On Wednesday, Murrieta resident Randy Fannin, 62, was one of eight people killed when a gunman opened fire at a Seal Beach salon owned by Fannin.

Monday and Tuesday mornings -- and even this past Tuesday -- Randy Fannin could be found on the golf course near his Murrieta home.

On Wednesday, the 62-year-old was one of eight people killed when a gunman opened fire at the salon he owned in Seal Beach.

Fannin was doing a regular customer's hair when he and the others got caught in the crossfire of a suspected custody battle between the gunman, identified as Scott Dekraai, and a salon employee, ex-wife Michelle Fournier, 48, who was also among the dead.

Find out what's happening in Lake Elsinore-Wildomarwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Also killed were Victoria Ann Buzzo, 54; Lucia Bernice Kondas, 65; Laura Lee Elody, 46; Christy Lynn Wilson, 47; Michelle Daschbach Fast, 47; and David Caouette, 64.

DeKraai was arrested a short time after the shootings; he was not injured.

Find out what's happening in Lake Elsinore-Wildomarwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The day after the shooting, friends and neighbors of Fannin in Murrieta said they were stunned by the news.

"I found out through one of the golfers," said David Garner, general manager of The Golf Club at Rancho California, the Murrieta course Fannin lived on.

"He was here Tuesday," said Garner, who's known Fannin for five years. "He'd play early in the morning; he'd come out by himself and join up with whoever was out here."

Garner and some of Fannin's golf buddies are planning to go in on flowers to send to the family.

"Golf clubs are kind of like bars -- you get to know each other well out here," Garner said about the camaraderie enjoyed with Fannin.

"I am very sad, very shocked, and feeling like things that are tragic like this shouldn't happen."

Douglas and Christine Mills, longtime friends of Fannin and his wife, Sandy, drove to Fannin's well-kept home Thursday to see if Sandy was OK. Those close to the family have said she was in the shop when the shooting occurred, but she was not one of the victims.

As Temecula residents, the Mills said they've known Randy for 20 years. Christine got her hair done by Sandy, and Douglas by Randy, at a shop in Old Town Temecula.

They lost touch a few years ago when the Fannins bought Salon Meritage in Seal Beach. The Fannins would spend Monday and Tuesday at their Murrieta home, and drive to Seal Beach for the remainder of the week to work in the shop.

"It is just a horrible tragedy," Douglas said. "There is no why to it, it was just an idiot that took out eight innocent lives. There is no sense to what he did."

The Fannins were married about the same time the Mills met them 20 years ago, Douglas said. They didn't have any children together, but both had grown children from previous marriages, according to the Mills.

Sam Zorrilla, 64, a neighbor who's lived two doors down from the Fannins for five years, was also in shock from the news.

"I just talked to him four days ago...We didn't even know..." Zorrilla said. "...Then L.A. Times called us...that's how we found out. Then we tuned to Channel 5 and it was there--Randy was there and he was shot and killed."

Ross Vacca, 73, played golf with Fannin for seven years.

"He was just a great guy. We played a lot of golf together," Vacca said.

"I am still sick about it."

No one answered the door at the Fannin home Thursday. Flowers were placed on the doorstep, and news vans came and went.

Daniel Lane contributed to this report.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.