Murder-suicide shocks Torrance community

TORRANCE Police said 42-year-old Steven Pick, a father, was ordered to stay away from his own family. He allegedly shot his son, wife, mother-in-law and then himself.

Click in the Eyewitness News Story Window above to watch Amy Powell's report from the scene.

Police responded to the 1900 block of 230th Street at about 8:30 p.m. Monday after reports of a shooting and found four gunshot victims. The father, Pick, and a 5-year-old son were dead at the scene, and Pick's wife and mother-in-law were rushed to a hospital.

A 4-year-old daughter reportedly inside the home was unharmed.

Police had been called to the home around noon Monday because of a family argument. At that time, police had served the husband, Steven Pick, with a restraining order that had been obtained earlier by his wife, Jacquelyn Pick, said Torrance Police Officer Dave Crespin. Police said he gathered his belongings and left. About eight hours later, he returned with a gun.

Neighbors were shocked by Monday's incident.

"How do you tell your kid that their friend has been killed by their father?" said neighbor Patti Kimzey.

Pick's mother-in-law, Janelle Stern, died later in a hospital, but Pick's wife, Jacquelyn Pick, is expected to survive her injuries.

"He would sometimes just come over and just like knock on our doors or just like leave weird notes or like vandalize our property, and then we'd just be too scared to go outside, and then I'd just wait for my dad to come home. I just felt like really uncomfortable," said neighbor Annie Son.

"He was unemployed, and he had challenges trying to provide for the family, just like a lot of people do, but as for the violent end of this, we never seen it in this neighborhood," said neighbor John Demontagnac.

The 5-year-old boy was popular in the neighborhood.

"He was a great little boy, loved by everybody, cute as can be, just very tragic," said Dr. Laurie Love, John Adams Elementary School.

The school said grief counselors were on hand Tuesday.

The 4-year-old girl is being cared for by relatives.

A fund has been set up for the family at the Bank of America at 1255 Sartori Avenue, Torrance, 90501. The account number is #0211269005.

 

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