Long Beach State University Police responded to reports of a disgruntled former employee of the Student Recreation and Wellness Center Friday. They were unable to locate him.
Jamie Williams was arrested hours later in connection to a shooting that left his father and step sister dead, and his stepmother injured.
Williams, 43, is currently being held on a $2 million bail. University spokeswoman Terri Carbaugh confirmed that he was a fitness equipment technician for the SRWC and Williams was still listed on the Associated Students Inc. staff directory as a current employee as of Monday afternoon.
Carbaugh confirmed that he was employed from October 2017 to March 2018 and that he chose to leave his position.
Williams’ had a previous criminal record, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon from 2001; Carbaugh stated that the university is currently looking into if this was known at the time of his hiring.
“Successful candidates for ASI are asked if they have a criminal record,” Carbaugh said in an email. “In all employee related matters, we are unable to publicly share details of personnel files.”
According to University Police, Williams attempted to visit several offices on campus to air his grievances Friday. Two UPD officers visited the Daily 49er newsroom on the same day to advise the staff to lock their doors, as well as the SRWC after receiving a call from them about a suspicious circumstance.
Compton police officers responded to a shooting Friday evening on the 600 block of West Palmer Street in Compton discovering three gunshot victims, 65-year-old Eddie Talley Jr. and 13-year-old Brittany Malone, as well as a woman whose identity hasn’t been released yet.
Multiple news sites reported that Williams ran out of the house naked around the time of the shooting. Law enforcement later arrested and booked him in a Compton sheriff’s station Saturday.
ASI employees have been told not to comment, and to refer all media inquiries to Carbaugh, according to an email sent to all employees.
The safety update released by UPD, which Carbaugh cited as the university’s statement on the matter, informed students and university employees that he had been arrested and that the two departments would be working together on the issue. It also thanked those on campus who came forward in regards to the potentially dangerous situation.
“And on behalf of the entire campus community, I want to offer my condolences to those who have been touched by these tragic events,” Fernando Solorzano, chief of UPD, said in the campus safety update.
Faith Petrie, Grant Hermanns, Carlos Villicana and Sarah Vehrs contributed to this story.
This story will be updated.
