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Family Strife Could Prove Motive In Santa Monica Shootings

This photo provided by the Santa Monica Police Department during a news conference Saturday, June 8, 2013, shows a frame grab from a surveillance camera revealing the suspect entering Santa Monica College on Friday.
Ringo H.W. Chiu
This photo provided by the Santa Monica Police Department during a news conference Saturday, June 8, 2013, shows a frame grab from a surveillance camera revealing the suspect entering Santa Monica College on Friday.

Investigators were reportedly looking into family connections in their search for a motive in Friday's shooting rampage in Santa Monica, Calif., that left five people dead, including the gunman.

The Associated Press, quoting unnamed officials close to the investigation, reports that because the killer's father, identified as 55-year-old Samir Zawahri, and his brother, Chris, 25, were the first victims, the probe was focused on the likelihood that a domestic dispute sparked the violence that spilled over onto the Santa Monica College campus. Zawahri's home was apparently set on fire after the killings.

Authorities have yet to publicly identify the gunman -- who was killed by police after he fatally shot four people -- pending notification of his next of kin.

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Santa Monica Police Chief Jacqueline Seabrooks said Saturday that the killer, who died a day shy of his 24th birthday, had "contact" with local law enforcement in 2006, but she didn't elaborate.

Seabrooks also said Saturday that the gunman had been enrolled at Santa Monica College as recently as 2010.

Copyright 2013 NPR. To see more, visit www.npr.org.