The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said 44-year-old Jose Sahagun, a father of two, was fatally shot in an unprovoked attack at a stoplight in La Mirada.
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Deputies said Sahagun and his children, ages 4 and 7, were sitting in the family car when a man and woman drove up and opened fire.
Sahagun's children escaped death by sheer luck, officials said.
"These were random targets of violence that were unprovoked," Capt. Chris Bergner with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said.
In a matter of hours Saturday afternoon, investigators said the couple, identified as 21-year-old Alejandro Lazo and 26-year-old Reyna Gomez, drove through Pico Rivera, Whittier and La Mirada while shooting at 14 people in five locations.
Two were wounded during those shootings. Authorities also said the couple shot and injured a man in an alley in Whittier.
Detectives said others suspects may also have been involved and asked for the public's help identifying anyone linked to two stolen cars, a green Nissan Pathfinder and a white KIA.
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"This is very unusual, we haven't seen this (kind of crime spree), at least that I can tell, in quite a while, if ever," Bergner said.
Detectives didn't show mugshots of the couple because they said their investigation was ongoing, but they did say the two were admitted gang members with long rap sheets, which included extortion, assault, grand theft auto and evading arrest.
According to the Whittier Police Department, the duo ultimately engaged in a shootout with unknown individuals at the Budget Inn in La Mirada.
Lazo and Gomez were wounded and soon caught in a stolen car with a weapon, officials said. The couple faces one count of murder, 14 counts of attempted murder and one count of carjacking.
If convicted as charged, officials said the couple faces life in prison.
A GoFundMe account has been established to help the family of Sahagun. If you'd like to learn how to donate, click here.