A man shot his mother to death after an argument, then walked next door and shot another woman and three children, authorities said. In the end, two women and a 4-year-old girl were dead and two other children critically wounded.

Police responded to a 911 call at about 7:30 p.m. Monday to a report of gunshot victims, said Andrea Hawkins, a Los Angeles County Fire Department supervising dispatcher.

When police arrived, Los Angeles Sheriff's Lt. Daniel Rosenberg said, “they found a male Hispanic adult standing in the street... armed with a handgun.”

Searching the scene, Rosenberg said, revealed five gunshot victims.

“We believe the suspect who was detained got into some type of argument with his mother, shot and killed her, then went next door on some type of a shooting rampage and shot his neighbors.”

Wounded were a 14-year-old boy and a 9-year-old girl. Both were taken to a hospital in critical condition, Rosenberg said.

The suspect was arrested on murder charges, sheriff's officials said Tuesday morning, although they would not release his name or any additional information on the shootings.

Their department is investigating.

Television station KCAL reported that the suspect has a history of mental illness.

Police with automatic rifles patrolled the working class neighborhood 18 miles east of downtown Los Angeles shortly after the shooting, the area blocked off by yellow crime scene tape.

“This was a tragic event in a quiet neighborhood,” said Baldwin Park police Capt. Michael Taylor.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/state/20080226-0604-ca-neighborhoodshooting.html