The incident happened Thursday afternoon in the Tyrol Plaza Senior Apartments at the intersection of Vermont Avenue and State College Boulevard.
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Witnesses say a resident, who's been identified by police as 67-year-old Brian Lawrence, walked up to a manager and shot her several times. Some living there witnessed the traumatic incident.
"I was talking to a manager, he was getting me some paint for my room, and the guy just came up to her, who lived there, and shot her four times," said Joe Guerrero.
Police identified the manager as 59-year-old Ana Monterrosa of Anaheim. She was taken to a hospital where she later died. Many remembered her as kind.
According to police, Lawrence returned to his apartment after the shooting.
An hours-long search in the apartment complex that night when SWAT officers entered Lawrence's apartment and found him dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said.
Neighbors who did not wish to speak on camera said Lawrence was a caring and compassionate person but noticed a change in him over the last month and a half.
A paranoid Lawrence accused management, maintenance workers and others living in the complex of entering his home, turning lights on and off and rearranging furniture.
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One person said Monterrosa tried to get Lawrence psychiatric help the Friday before the shooting, further angering Lawrence. The community is now traumatized by what unfolded.
"I just couldn't believe what happened," said Guerrero. "I thought he was going to shoot me next. He just looked at me and took off."
Police along with other city partners have reached out to residents and staff at the complex to provide counseling and other resources.
Meanwhile, homicide detectives are asking anyone with information to call 714-765-1900 or contact Orange County Crime Stoppers at 855-TIP-OCCS.
You can also visit www.occrimestoppers.org to submit a tip.