SANTA MONICA, Calif. — The mother of a gunman who fatally shot five people in Santa Monica once said the shooter’s father had threatened to kill her at least twice during years of turmoil in the family, according to court records obtained Monday by The Associated Press.
” ‘If I had a gun, it would be over,’ ” Randa Abdou quoted her husband in a 1998 document seeking a temporary restraining order.
The mother of John Zawahri also said her husband had threatened to take their two young sons away to Canada after the couple separated, and that he once punched her and stole her jewelry, purse and unfiled divorce papers.
Zawahri, 23, shot his 55-year-old father, Samir Zawahri, and 24-year-old brother, Christopher, and left their home in flames on Friday before opening fire on strangers in cars, a bus and on campus during a 15-minute rampage. Police said the former Santa Monica College student was heavily armed and carrying a duffel bag with 1,300 rounds of ammo when officers killed him in the campus library.
He had taken electronic game design classes at the Southern California school in winter 2009 and last attended in fall 2010.
Randa Abdou cut short a visit with family in Lebanon to return to Los Angeles on Sunday and had spoken with investigators who hoped she could provide clues to what sparked the violence.
The school reopened on Monday for final examinations and for students who fled to recover backpacks, cars and other items left behind.
Extra security and counselors were on hand on the campus but the library remained closed.
Kelly Williams, 19, said she was nervous about coming to campus to take a psychology final but felt better once she saw a police car parked outside.
“It’s kind of scary because it just happened and you don’t know if it will happen again,” she said.
Investigators were still trying to determine what prompted Zawahri’s attack and whether he may have been mentally ill.
