A “disgruntled” former patient opened fire at a California dentist’s office on Thursday, killing a dentist after legally uying the gun he used in the shooting two weeks ago.
The San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office said Dr. Benjamin Ariel Harouni, 28, “sustained apparntely gunshot injuries to the torso” and was pronounced dead at the scene, NBC News reported.
El Cajon Police said the suspect, 29-year-old Mohammed Abdulkareem, fled in a rented U-Haul truck and was later captured. He was “armed with a loaded handgun and several loaded handgun magazines” that he “legally purchased” two weeks ago, police said.
“Investigations also revealed that Abdulkareem was a former patient of the dental office,” according to police. “While the exact motive behind the shooting remains under investigation, it is believed that Abdulkareem was a disgruntled former customer.”
Police stressed that the fatal shooting did not appear to be “racially or politically motivated.” They apparently made the comment because Harouni and his family were members of Chabad of San Diego, a Jewish organization.
Another man and a woman were wounded in the shooting.
Abdulkareem has been charged with one count of murder and two counts of attempted murder. His brother, Anwer Abdulkareem, told NBC News the family had been trying to convince him to seek treatment for disturbing behaviors in recent months.
“He needed help,” the brother said. “He had fear, he had paranoia. He was thinking everyone was after him, there’s a gang, there’s a cartel. He was seeing stuff that was not happening.”
For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast.
[Featured image: Benjamin Ariel Harouni/LinkedIn]
