Gunman Who Died By Suicide In RivCo Workplace Shooting Identified; Victim In Critical Condition
RIVERSIDE, CA — A former employee of a Riverside recycling center who shot and killed himself at the facility after shooting a woman several times has been identified, authorities said.
Ruben ZavalaNegrete of Ontario, 53, was pronounced dead by paramedics arriving at the facility on Tuesday morning, according to Railsback.
The woman was still in critical condition on Thursday morning but was expected to survive, according to a Thursday news release from Riverside Police Officer Ryan Railsback.
Around 8:10 a.m., police began receiving calls about a shooting at a recycling business in the 61000 block of Columbus Avenue, he said. While officers were en route, they learned a man had shot a woman in the parking lot before turning the gun on himself.
A preliminary investigation revealed that Zavala had been employed at the business until last week. When he returned on Tuesday morning, he fired a gun at employees near one of the buildings, then shot a woman in her 40s several times.
"Immediately afterward, he shot and killed himself," Railsback said.
Railsback confirmed with Patch that the facility where the shooting unfolded is a recycling center and not Pepe's Towing Service, as previously reported.
The incident is still under investigation.
"We don't know what the motive is," Railsback told Patch on Wednesday. "We don't know if this is more of a workplace situation or if this had anything to do with something outside of work."
Anyone with information about the investigation is asked to get in touch with Detective Mike Smith at 951-353-7103 or MikeSmith@RiversideCA.gov, or Detective Ricky Barajas at 951-353-7213 or EBarajas@RiversideCA.gov.
Anonymous tips can be submitted through the Riverside Police Department's "Atlas 1" mobile app by using the secure "Send a Message" feature. The app is available for download on both Apple and Android phones.
