Richardson and Officer Jason Laase arrived a few minutes later and
hid behind another car, delivering cover fire to free the women, who
ran to safety. Beeton turned his attention to Laase and Richardson
and started shooting. Both were eventually freed with the help of
additional officers.
CREDIBLE, OR TROUBLED?
Glendale Police still don't know why Beeton did it. What
investigators did learn was that Beeton, 48, had been out of work for
about two months and was behind on his rent.
"Because of that, he was probably going to be homeless," Lorenz
said, adding that Beeton aspired to become a police officer and had
no criminal record or history of mental illness.
A former Pinkerton security guard licensed by the state to carry a
firearm, Beeton left that job voluntarily in 2000, but had found
another security guard job, neighbors said.
During a phone interview this week, Eng characterized Beeton as a
typical neighbor who "was the height of credibility."
"Talking to him seemed like talking to a police officer," he said.
"When someone is licensed to carry a gun, you automatically give them
a certain amount of credibility."
But Yang, a 27-year-old artist working on her teaching credential,
painted a different picture of her neighbor of five years.
"This was not unexpected," she said. "That guy was on the brink of
insanity."
According to Yang, whenever she parked her car, Beeton "would open
his door, stand there and stare at me."
She said she even tried saying "Hi" to break the ice, but got a
blank stare in return.
"It was the creepiest feeling," she said.
Oun, who said she never saw Beeton talk to anyone, recalled a
similar experience with him about two weeks before he opened fire.
"I passed by his apartment, and he opened his door and stared at
me," she said. "But he looked so different ... he looked very
unhappy."
POLICE PRAISED
In the hours following the siege, more than 30 detectives and
crime scene investigators combed the property. Most residents were
not allowed to return to their apartments for 15 hours, Lorenz said.
Residents, including Eng, praised police for their resolve.
"They risked their lives," he said of police. "It was obvious that
their main concern was saving the lives of the residents."
The gunfire left the apartment complex pocked with bullet holes
and littered with debris dislodged by the shots. Beeton's apartment
took more than $10,000 and two months to repair, Eng said.
"Basically, we had to rebuild the entire apartment," he said. "You
