IRVINE, CA – A UPS driver was fatally shot while on his lunch break inside his truck in Irvine, California on Thursday afternoon. Within a few hours, law enforcement officers had apprehended a suspect connected to the shooting.
The shooting occurred around 3 p.m. near Chrysler and Bendix, as reported by the Irvine Police Department through their Facebook account. Sergeant Karie Davies stated that the UPS driver was dining inside of his vehicle when an unidentified individual wearing a face mask drove up in a pickup truck and opened fire.
Law enforcement personnel are probing the relationship between the victim and the suspect and their potential motive. “We don’t know exactly what the relationship is between these two gentlemen, if any,” Sgt. Davies stated.
Approximately three hours post-incident, law enforcement responded near Santiago Canyon Road and the Toll Road, where the shooter’s truck was spotted. The suspect initially barricaded themselves in their vehicle, but a combined deployment of a chemical agent and a police dog eventually forced the suspect out.
Community residents and regular UPS service recipients expressed shock and sorrow over the incident, remembering the driver as a friendly figure in the neighborhood who usually ate lunch in the same spot.
In response to the tragedy, UPS issued a heartfelt statement expressing their sadness over the driver’s death, pledging their cooperation with authorities to investigate the case. The company is offering counselling services to their employees impacted by the tragedy.
As part of the ongoing investigation, the Irvine police are appealing to the public for any information regarding the fatal shooting.