LOS ANGELES — A retired SantaMonica police officer says the gunman who killed five people last week was held for mental evaluation by hospital staff after police raided his home for explosives seven years ago.
Former police officer Cristina Coria says 23-year-old John Zawahri made violent threats to another student, teachers and campus police officers while a student at Olympic High School. Coria says she helped serve a search warrant on Zawahri's home months later looking for explosives and weapons.
School board member Oscar de la Torre says officers found bomb-making materials.
Coria says Zawahri was admitted to a hospital for psychiatric evaluation. Police would not divulge details of his record because he was a juvenile. Zawahri was killed Friday by police after a gun battle in the Santa Monica College library.
Zawahri killed five people during his shooting spree.
