A deranged gunman killed three uniformed Nevada National Guardsmen and one civilian at a Carson city IHOP Tuesday morning with an military assault rifle before killing himself.
According to Carson City Sheriff Eduardo Sencion, 32, a naturalized US citizen walked into a Carson city IHOP restaurant during the breakfast rush and open fired on a table where five uniformed Guardsmen were eating breakfast.
All told, 12 people were killed or injured, including Mr. Sencion, who shot himself in the parking lot after leaving the restaurant. He died later at a hospital. Sheriff Ken Furlong identified the three dead Guard members as Maj. Heath Kelly, 35, of Reno, Nev.; Sgt. First Class Christian Riege, 38, of Carson City; and Sgt. First Class Miranda McElhiney, 31, of Reno. The remaining two Guard members were still in the hospital, but have “non-life threatening injuries,” said Maj. April Conway, a National Guard spokeswoman.
The dead also included a 67-year-woman — Florence Donovan-Gunderson, of South Lake Tahoe, Calif., about 30 miles to the southwest — who was dining with her husband, who was also shot but survived.
The motive for the shooting spree was unclear Sencion according to family members had a history of mental illness and was committed ot a South Lake Tahoe mental facility in 2000.
Sheriff Furlong described a chaotic scene as Mr. Sencion appeared in the parking lot of the restaurant — apparently chosen at random, as he had no personal or professional ties there — and began shooting. The bullets hit several nearby businesses including the Fandango casino across Highway 395, the city’s six-lane central thoroughfare.
After entering the restaurant from the west Mr. Sencion took a sharp right into the seating area, and aimed his weapon. Ms. Donovan-Gunderson and her husband — a retired military veteran himself — were hit by one of the early volleys, which were accompanied by screams by Mr. Sencion, who apparently shouted at victims as he shot.
The five Guard members had started a 10-hour shift at 6:30 a.m..
Sencion shot all five Guard members at the table, none of whom were armed. He killed Major Kelly and Sergeant Riege at the scene. Sergeant McElhiney died at a hospital Tuesday night.
Sencion did not have any prior criminal history, nor did he have any involvement with gangs or methamphetamine, according to Furlong.
Sencion did have money problems he declared bankruptcy in 2009 with $45,000 in credit card debt.
Brig. Gen. Bill Burks said that two of the three Guard victims had survived tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“It hit real hard,” said General Burks, who had asked National Guard members on Tuesday not to wear their uniforms in public as a precaution.
Sergeant Riege was described as a fitness fan with three children who had served with the 221st Calvary in Afghanistan in 2010. Major Kelly, who was married with two children, had served with the Army in Iraq and had been decorated. Sergeant McElhiney, who was single, was a “fast riser,” who worked in various medical and administrative roles and made cupcakes for special National Guard events.
“It’s pretty quiet on the base,” Major Conway said. “I think people are still in a reflective mood and just keeping to themselves. Certainly there is not the normal boisterous joviality that usually goes on in the halls. Everyone is still a little 
numb.”