Stanley Stepanski II, a 48-year-old man Florence, Montana, has been identified as the suspect in a California mass shooting that resulted in the death of a 93-year-old woman. The shooting took place on Tuesday, January 15 in Newcastle, California.
What Happened?
The Placer County Sheriff’s Office arrested Stepanski on Thursday, January 17, after he was identified as the suspect who was responsible for a shooting spree earlier in the week.
According to California investigators, Stepanski had no prior relationship with the 93-year-old victim, who eventually died from the injuries she suffered in the shooting. The victim was identified as Mary Toste.
Following the shooting spree, Stepanski was shot and killed by police.
In addition to Toste, two other people and a K9 police dog were shot and injured. All three are expected to recover.
The shooting began around 7 p.m. Tuesday when a man was seen with a gun, firing off rounds starting in a Newcastle parking lot. The spree ended when he was shot and killed on Interstate 80 near the Highway 65 overpass. He drove a pickup truck through south Placer County, shooting at businesses, vehicles and homes in seven different areas, authorities said.
As he was driving down Rock Springs Road in Penryn, he shot and killed Toste at her door, officials said. Another person was shot while driving in Loomis and went to a fire station for treatment. A third person was shot at but was not hit, authorities said.
Stepanski fled onto Interstate 80 and was killed in a gunbattle with law enforcement after crashing into a center divide, officials said. The K-9 was shot in the flank during the standoff.
Who Is Stanley Stepanski II?
Stanley Stepanski II, a 48-year-old man Florence, Montana, is the suspect that was shot and killed by California police after he went on a shooting spree that resulted in the death of 93-year-old woman Mary Toste.
This was not Stepanski’s first criminal incident, as he was arrested on a felony charge of assault with a weapon in 2017.