Southern California Edison shooting
| Industry | Electric utility |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Irwindale , United States |
On December 16, 2011, a mass shooting took place inside a Southern California Edison office located in Irwindale, California. The assailant, Andre Turner, fatally shot two employees and injured two others before taking his own life.
Shooting
Andre Turner, aged 48, arrived at the office building—primarily staffed by information technology personnel—at his regular start time. At approximately 1:30 pm, he produced a firearm and discharged it, striking four individuals. An eyewitness recounted that Turner had warned a manager about his intention to shoot prior to opening fire.
During the assault, Turner moved throughout the premises, encountering employees who were unaware of the unfolding violence; many did not immediately recognize that a shooting was in progress. Some workers safeguarded themselves by locking doors and concealing themselves within offices.
Victims
The two deceased supervisors had each dedicated over two decades to the company: Henry Serrano, 56, from Walnut, California, and Robert Lindsay, 53, from Chino Hills, California. Angela Alvarez, 46, suffered life-threatening injuries, while Abhay Pimpale, 38, was shot in the thigh. Turner interacted with several coworkers throughout the event before ending his own life.
Perpetrator
Turner had been employed by Southern California Edison for seven years.
Documentation indicates he was subject to civil lawsuits and judgments, including a 2008 case filed by Citibank resulting in a default judgment in 2009, as well as another suit by debt collector Cavalry Portfolio during the same year. Additionally, he was a plaintiff in a dismissed 2005 class-action lawsuit against UDC Homes.
Prior to the shooting, Turner had received verbal warnings from his supervisor and was informed that his job was at risk of termination.
Aftermath
In response to the shooting, schools and Southern California Edison offices within a 50-mile radius were placed under lockdown.
Southern California Edison created a relief fund for the families of victims, initially contributing $100,000 and matching donations made by employees. An internal review uncovered an excessively large IT management hierarchy that contributed to an unfavorable workplace atmosphere; this conclusion was drawn from interviews with more than 700 staff members. Following these findings, Edison reduced management personnel by 20%, bolstered security protocols, enhanced leadership training programs, strengthened workplace violence prevention and crisis response initiatives, and instituted more stringent employee performance evaluations.