Is The Azusa Shooting Politically Motivated?

The Los Angeles Times is reporting that one person is dead in an active-shooter situation in Azusa, California. It's still unclear precisely what happened, but it's impossible not to wonder on election day: Is the Azusa shooting politically-motivated?

It's still not clear because authorities simply haven't released very much information about the incident. The LA Times reports that it took place near a polling station in the region around Fourth Street and Orange Avenue, but the precise location hasn't been released. However, Dean Logan, the Registrar-Recorder of Los Angeles County said on Twitter that two polling locations were "impacted" by the shooting: Memorial Park and Dayton Elementary. He advised voters planning to vote at those locations to go somewhere else, and soon thereafter, the San Gabriel Valley Tribune reported that both locations had been put on lockdown.

The details of the shooting are scant. ABC 7 reports that four people were injured, citing the Los Angeles County Fire Department, and that nearby Slauson Middle School was placed on lockdown. The LA Times reports that the shooter fired at officers when they arrived at the scene; they sought cover, unharmed, and returned fire. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office says that the shooter is still active and heavily-armed; a witness described him to the LA Times as a man wearing a white shirt and black pants.

The shooting happened at around 2:00 pm local time. Of the three people who were injured, two were airlifted to a trauma center and one was taken to a hospital in an ambulance, the Los Angeles County Fire Inspector told the San Gabriel Valley Tribune. The incident is being investigated by numerous law enforcement agencies, including the Azusa Police, the Irwindale Police, and West Govina Police's SWAT team, the Tribune reported.

So far, none of the identities of anyone involved have been released, and the shooter's motive remains unknown. In all likelihood, it'll be a while until we can get an idea of whether or not this was a politically-motivated attack. Until then, it's probably a good idea to steer clear of those polling locations if you're in Azusa.