FONTANA: Uncle fatally shoots 3 family members, critically injures 4th
Officers arrested Ali Zafar after he allegedly shot 4 of his family members, killing 3 and critically injuring the 4th. Fontana PD photo
FONTANA – Three people were fatally shot and a fourth was left in critical condition after being shot in the mouth by a suspect who was later determined to be the victims’ uncle Wednesday, Jan. 4.
City of Fontana police officials believe a longstanding financial dispute between the family members led to the quadruple shooting, according to Fontana Police Sergeant Kevin Goltara.
The deadly incident happened at the Village Drive Apartments in the 14000 block of Village Parkway in the City of Fontana.
The suspect, who was later identified as Ali Zafar, 73, of Escondido, was arrested by officers responding to reports of shots fired at the apartment complex. During questioning, Zafar reportedly told investigators the victims owed him money and that they had not been paying him.
Although the victims have not been officially identified by San Bernardino County Coroner officials, family members have said all four victims were nieces and nephews of Zafar.
Fontana police officers were dispatched to the complex at 2:54 a.m., after City of Fontana emergency dispatchers received a 911 call from a person who reported hearing six gunshots fired inside the victim’s second-floor apartment.
Police officers located the suspect, Ali Zafar, while he was still armed with a handgun believed used in the shooting. John Strangis photo
When officers arrived they located and confronted Zafar, who was walking in the interior of the apartment complex armed with a handgun. Officers confronted Zafar at gunpoint, ordering him to drop his weapon, according to Goltara.
“The suspect dropped his gun per officers commands and was taken into custody without any further incident,” Goltara explained.
After Zafar was taken into custody, officers made entry into an apartment and located three of the four victims suffering from fatal gunshot wounds.
Two female adults and one male adult were pronounced deceased at the scene. Some of the victims appeared to have been sleeping when they were shot, according to Goltara.
Officers quickly located the fourth male victim in an adjacent apartment occupied by another family member, believed to be one of the victim’s sisters. The victim had been shot in the mouth and was transported to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in critical condition where he underwent emergency surgery.
An ambulance arrives to treat the surviving victim, who was shot in the mouth. John Strangis photo
Officials said the two-bedroom apartment had a living room that had been modified into an area where people slept.
A preliminary investigation into the deadly incident revealed Zafar was visiting the family from his residence in Escondido and had arrived at the apartment at some point Tuesday and spent the night. Shortly before 3 a.m., Zafar went from room to room shooting the four victims as they slept, according to Goltara.
Fontana police officials are investigating the shootings and have encouraged anyone with information about the incident to contact the department’s Investigations Unit at (909) 350-7700.
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This is a developing story. Additional information will be updated as it becomes available.
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Trevor Montgomery spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg in an off-duty accident.
During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations, including the Robert Presley Detention Center, the Southwest Station in Temecula, the Hemet Station, and the Lake Elsinore Station, along with many other locations.
Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, Personnel and Background Investigations and he finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator.
Trevor has been married for more than 26 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and has 13 children and 12 – soon to be 13 – grandchildren.