Hector Celaya's family is grieving, torn apart with questions and unable to speak on camera. Family members say he shot six people including his mom, his son and two daughters before deputies could stop him. Two children survived, his 6-year-old son Andrew and 5-year-old daughter Linea.
Antoinette Hunter knew the kids but didn't really know the dad, "I just couldn't believe it...something like that just doesn't happen, especially to kids like that...how can somebody do that to their own kids?"
The first shots were fired Saturday night near Celaya's home on the Tule Indian Reservation. Deputies say Celaya killed three people there, two in a trailer and one in a shed.
Family members say one of those victims was Celaya's mom. They say he also shot his son before leaving in a Jeep Cherokee with his two daughters.
Deputies caught up with Celaya hours later and briefly chased him near Lindsay. When he stopped, more shots were fired. Investigators believe that's when the girls were hit.
On Sunday Sergeant Chris Douglass said "shots were fired inside the vehicle...not necessarily at our deputies so deputies did shoot their firearms at the suspect and the suspect was struck."
Celaya died at the hospital. His 8-year-old daughter Alyssa also died. His other two kids, Andrew and Linea are in the hospital. Andrew is in critical condition and Linea is in Serious condition.
Hunter said, "they were good kids...always happy, especially Alyssa...she was a very high spirited little girl."
Family members say Celaya was quiet, jobless and struggling. People on the reservation say he was a loner and a drug user.
Still, there are a lot of questions. Questions that might go unanswered.
The shooting victims have all been identified. Among the deceased, Irene Celaya, Francisco Moreno, Bernard Franco and Hector Celaya's daughter, Alyssa.
The Tulare County Sheriff's Department says multiple deputies shot at Celaya. They are all on administrative leave.
TXT 24
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