A husband and wife died from gunshot wounds they suffered at their home in the Wood Ranch neighborhood of Simi Valley Nov. 30.
Officers with the Simi Valley Police Department were called shortly after noon on a report of shots fired in the 500 block of Hawks Bill Place, according to a news release. The street lies in southwest Simi Valley with large, single-family homes.
Officers found the two injured victims at the scene, and they were transported to the hospital in critical condition, police said. Sgt. Rick Morton said at 6:15 p.m. that both victims had died from their wounds.
Earlier in the day, Sgt. Matt Buchanan said officers did not believe the public was at risk.
“It does look like they were targeted,” Buchanan said. “I don’t have the information about exactly what the circumstances are regarding that.”
Morton said investigators sought a search warrant to continue their efforts on the double homicide and were granted one around 8 p.m. They are looking into leads on the suspect, he said.
Both Buchanan and Morton said no arrests had been made in the homicides.
In the meantime, Simi Valley police sent investigators to Chino in San Bernardino County, Morton said. A vehicle with a similar description to the one at the crime scene had been intentionally lit on fire in Chino, and a man inside the vehicle had killed himself, the sergeant said.
On Dec. 1, Morton said the vehicle had been connected to the Simi Valley shootings, but investigators were awaiting identification from the San Bernardino County Coroner Division.
Lt. Frank Acuña, with the Chino Police Department, said Nov. 30 his agency had been in communcation with their counterparts Simi Valley. Like Simi, Chino uses a video plate reader system called Flock, Acuña said.
He said Chino officers were called to Ayala Park on Central Avenue for the car fire and alleged suicide at 2:31 p.m.
Morton said the morning of Dec. 1 that Simi Valley police would not be releasing the victims’ names but would leave that to the Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Morton would not provide information on the suspect only saying the man was known to the victims.
Meanwhile, Adventist Health Simi Valley issued a statement Nov. 30 about the deaths of Dr. Eric Cordes, and his wife Vicki from Alice Issai, president of Adventist Health Glendale and Simi Valley Service Area, and Dr. Amandip Gill, hospital chief of staff.
“The Adventist Health Simi Valley community is heartbroken by the tragic deaths of our longtime colleague, Dr. Eric Cordes, and his wife, Vicki. Dr. Cordes was a highly respected, board-certified radiologist and beloved physician who served this community with compassion and excellence for nearly 30 years,” the statement says.
Adventist Health officials said Cordes had been part of the hospital since 1997.
“Our hearts are with his family, friends, and all who had the privilege of working alongside him as we grieve this shocking loss.”
Others in the medical community praised Cordes and expressed disbelief in the circumstances surrounding his death.
He was the “go-to-radiologist” at Adventist Health Simi Valley, said Dr. Andy Bourgeois, an emergency medicine doctor who knew him for about 15 years. He was talented, humble and always willing to help.
“We’re just in shock,” Bourgeois said on Dec. 1. “He was the nicest guy. This is the last person you would think something like this would happen to.”
Cordes was “just a good quality guy,” someone you could always call, said Dr. Gregg Hartman, a Simi Valley orthopedic surgeon who knew him for nearly 30 years.
“He was a good person. He was a good doctor. He was reliable, and it’s a tragedy,” Hartman said. “It makes no sense.”
Staff writer Tom Kisken contributed to this report.
Stacie N. Galang is the news director of the Ventura County Star. She can be reached at 805-437-0222 or stacie.galang@vcstar.com.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: UPDATED: Shooting in Simi Valley turns into double homicide
Reporting by Stacie N. Galang, Ventura County Star / Ventura County Star
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