Wesley Brownlee, 43, was arrested in a series of shootings that left six people dead and one wounded in Stockton, Ca., USA Today reports. Police received tips from the public that led them to Brownlee, whose alleged killing spree began 18 months earlier in Oakland. Less than a week later, a woman was shot in Stockton and survived. Fifteen months later came the first of five fatal shootings in Stockton over a span of less than three months. Police have said Brownlee has not stated a motive for the shootings. A tip from a local resident led investigators to follow Brownlee's car at 2 a.m. Saturday, when they pulled him over. Police Chief Stanley McFadden said the suspect was wearing dark clothing, a mask and was armed with a handgun. "He was on a mission to kill. He was out hunting," McFadden said. "We are sure we stopped another killing."
Brownlee lived near the locations of the Stockton shootings, the chief said. San Joaquin County Superior Court records show that a defendant by the same name faced a felony charge in 2017, other infractions in 2021 and 2022 and a DUI case in 2009. It is unknown whether Brownlee's firearm was registered under his name or stolen. Five of the seven victims are Latino men and four of the victims were homeless. McFadden said the killings don't appear to be hate crimes. He said that Brownlee has lived in other cities and has a criminal history elsewhere. Brownlee's alleged shooting took place between April 10, 2021 and Sept. 27, 2022.