On Wednesday, September 12th, a 54-year-old man, Javier Casarez, opened fire on the city of Bakersfield, California  using a .50 caliber handgun. Six people were killed in two separate shootings, including the gunman who shot himself after being confronted by a Sheriff’s Deputy.

Authorities believe that the shootings were carried out for personal reasons due to the fact one of the victims was Javier Casarez’s ex-wife, 45-year-old Petra Maribel Bolanos De Casarez. According to ABC 7 news, “He told the court he was filing for divorce because he believed his wife was cheating on him.” This statement explains a possible motive as to why Casarez committed such a violent act resulting in taking the lives of five innocent people. Along with the divorce he also asked the judge if he could obtain access to text messages from his wife’s phone; the request was denied, but this shows that Casarez was suspicious of his wife which easily could have turned into anger and triggered the shootings.

According to CNN,  “It appears to be there’s more than just a husband and wife having a fight.” Obviously, the shootings may have occurred for more reasons than just being angry at his wife. The fact that Cazarez’s wife was not the only victim has lead authorities to believe that there may have been more underlying causes that triggered the shootings. Mental instability may have played a role in the shooting, with his anger at  his wife being taken out on other innocent victims as well.

This event was a tragedy not only for the victims but for their families too. We may never know the real cause of shooting, but one thing is for sure: the lives of the people involved will never be the same.