ANAHEIM — The man accused of fatally shooting three Orange County hospital workers hours after his mother died was acting out of irrational grief, police said Wednesday, and a preliminary investigation found no evidence that the 72-year-old woman was mistreated by employees.
"We can't determine that 'Dr. A' did something that led to his mother's death," said Anaheim Police Sgt. Joe Vargas. The deadly shooting, he said, was the result of "irrational and misguided motive--and that is revenge for his mother's death."
The suspected gunman, Dung Trinh, carried dozens of rounds of ammunition when he entered the West Anaheim Medical Center on Tuesday morning, detectives said. They believe he would have shot many more people had he not been disarmed by one of his victims, Ronald Robertson.
"Had it not been for Mr. Robertson . . . detectives feel that there would have been additional casualties in this case," Vargas said. "He really did a job. It's amazing when seemingly ordinary people rise to the top."
Police said they are focusing their investigation on the five hours between the time Trinh's mother died at a nearby hospital and the late morning rampage that began with the attacker shouting, "You killed my mother!"
Authorities said that Trinh had time to plan the attack and arm himself.
Under California law, jurors can decide that a killer acting in the "heat of passion" is guilty of voluntary manslaughter, which carries a maximum penalty of 11 years in prison. Premeditated murder can lead to a death sentence.
Trinh, an unemployed chef from Anaheim, lived with his ailing mother in a one-bedroom Anaheim apartment. She suffered from diabetes and had been in a wheelchair after breaking her hip this year.
Police said they are skeptical of Trinh's allegations that his mother was mistreated. She is believed to have died of heart disease. She had been a patient at West Anaheim Medical Center in May for hip replacement surgery.
"We will be looking at motivating factors," Vargas said. "But at this point, it doesn't matter what the motivation was--it's a homicide."
Hospital officials, meanwhile, said they would launch their own investigation into Mot Trinh's medical care.
"I think it's fair to review the chart," said Dr. Hwa Lee, chairman of the internal medicine department.
