Horrifically Evil Act On The Venice Boardwalk
I used to live near where this happened, on Westminster, near The Morrison (where Jim Morrison supposedly lived but really didn't) and the gargoyle house. Saturday and Sunday on summer weekends are the most packed times there. You can't get through the crowds of people easily.
This guy in the dark-colored (apparently) Dodge Avenger was standing outside his car on Dudley Avenue and then got in and purposely drove forward speedily and then onto Ocean Front Walk, the boardwalk, and apparently tried to hit as many people as he could.
One woman, apparently on her honeymoon, is dead, and others are seriously wounded.
The Santa Monica police have the car and @Venice311, our local crime-reporting blogger and tweeter, has the most updated accounts (better than most of the mainstream media outlets), with video.
I think I may have seen the driver. Traverse City, Michigan friends' kid is in town working as an intern at a production company. He met me at my place and I took him out for a coffee, and on the way there, at the corner by my house, I noticed a car -- very dark, very narrow window space -- stopped at the corner. The guy may be on neighbors' security video, as I told police, in case it helps their investigation to see what he was doing and possibly get clues about his state of mind, if it was indeed the same guy.
By the way, I believe there were barriers to the beach at Dudley -- as seen in the photo at Yo Venice (scroll down) -- and the guy may have plowed through them and over them.
At LAist, blogged by Emma G. Gallegos, Photo of some of the aftermath -- strewn sunglasses and possessions -- near the sunglass guy I bought my sunglasses from, and this account:
The hit-and-run happened around 6:01 p.m. at the Venice Boardwalk near the intersection of Dudley Avenue, according to City News Service. Witnesses told CBS that the driver seemed to be in control of his car and intentionally swerving into people in the crowd. One witness said the driver was "out for blood." Others said the driver sped up after hitting pedestrians.Kevin Salveson, 44, told the Los Angeles Times that he heard a scream when he turned to see a car plunging into a booth. He turned his wheel and headed toward another booth. He looked into the car and described what he saw: "His window was open and I looked in the car and I saw him...smiling."
The driver headed south on the boardwalk before turning on Sunset Avenue. He later abandoned his car about a mile away at Ocean Park Boulevard and Beverly Avenue and fled on foot. About an hour after the crash, a man matching the description of the driver walked into the Santa Monica Police Station and told them that he was connected to the incident, the Los Angeles Times reports. Police would not comment on whether the 20-something male was intoxicated. He was not yet charged, and his name has not been released.
The driver left a path of destruction on the Boardwalk. Alice Gruppioni, 32, of Italy was pronounced dead in the hours after the crash. Of the 11 others injured, one is in critical condition. This video captures the immediate aftermath of the crash. (It isn't graphic, but it does show some disoriented, injured victims awaiting medical treatment.)
UPDATE -- from a tweet:
@Venice311
Had the name last night, LAPD just confirmed NATHAN CAMPBELL being held on 1 million dollars bail for Venice Beach Boardwalk massacre.
KTLA says he's 38. LA Times says he's 35. From the LAT piece by Andrew Blankstein, Ari Bloomekatz and Abby Sewell:
He said he saw the vehicle hit a woman who sells turtles and a man who appeared to be homeless."All the turtles flew everywhere," as did mannequins outside of storefronts, Jenkins said..
He said the vehicle appeared to speed up after it hit the pedestrians and "zoomed all the way down" for several blocks.
KABC AM news reporter @MichaelLinder has middle name of suspect:
@michaellinder
Nathan Louis Campbell, 38 arrested for murder. Dodge sped down Venice Boardwalk Sat nite, 12 hit, Italian woman on honeymoon dead. $1m bail.
Absolutly horrible. But I'm willing to bet no one pushes for a ban on fully automatic cars or background check to buy one
lujlp at August 4, 2013 7:43 AM
WHen I saw this this morning I immediately hoped you weren't a victim.
Eric at August 4, 2013 8:22 AM
Thanks so much, Eric. I've been working overtime lately so I can have days free to go to New Jersey to get my doggie and I only left the house yesterday to take my friends' kid for coffee. I avoid the Boardwalk on the weekends as a rule, because I hate crowds. (I moved away from there because it was too raucous and unpeaceful for me. Used to be four houses from Ocean Front Walk -- the boardwalk.)
Amy Alkon at August 4, 2013 8:46 AM
I'm glad you're well. I still know enough people in LA, that when shit goes down there, it's pretty worrisome until all are accounted for.
jerry at August 4, 2013 9:12 AM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2013/08/04/horrifically_ev.html#comment-3837378">comment from jerryThanks, Jerry. Awful stuff that happens is especially awful when it isn't accidental. (This case apparently wasn't.)
I'm waiting for somebody to release a picture of the guy, though I normally don't like to look at monsters.
Amy Alkon at August 4, 2013 9:14 AM
I don't know what kind of inner torment prompts a person to do something.
I've often been overwhelmed by crowds of people and felt that I wanted the rest of the world to go away. But never to the point of wiping them out myself.
Patrick at August 4, 2013 9:34 AM
I don't know what kind of inner torment prompts a person to do something.
I do. And there is really no way to describe it to someone who doesnt already get it. The best way I can describe it is thusly.
Imagine regular annoyance as carnation pink and anger as the color of red you see on hamburger in the grocey store and imagine rage as the deepest darkest most brilliant crimson imaginable.
Now imagine that level of rage as a single flickering star in a sea of blackness above the north pole and what this guy was feeling as the sun itself sitting on his chest and relentlessly crushing and burning.
And even that descrption barely scratches the surface
lujlp at August 4, 2013 9:54 AM
I was on Main Street and headed towards home right when this happened. The first 2 ambulances raced by us when we were on Main Street & Rose. I counted 8 fire trucks, an ambulance, and 4 police cars race down at about 25 mph on Abbott Kinney within 30 minutes. We kept looking back to see if it was a fire, because we knew it had to be something major what with so many emergency vehicles.
What hit me the most was finding out this morning that the Italian woman who died was on her honeymoon. Imagine being her husband - let that sink in for a minute...
prawntohe at August 4, 2013 12:19 PM
I just saw part of this posted on youtube from a CCTV. You cannot see much and there is no sound; but, OMG, it is pretty frightening nonetheless.
Charles at August 4, 2013 3:13 PM
We really need to ban all cars! We need to protect the children! Our trained and trusted government workers (preferably TSA employees)should be the only ones allowed to drive motor vehicles.
David H at August 4, 2013 7:02 PM
My heart goes out to everyone... but... I guess I'll have to be the downer here.
I find the use of the word "massacre" by that tweeter to be little innappropriate and frankly, it seems like a deliberate attempt to monger fear. The word "massacre" implies that multiple people were killed, to me, in a deliberate act. ONE person is reported dead and multiple are severly injured. While this is clearly a deliberate attempt at harm, this is far from a massacre.
Amy, I am glad you're ok. Purely selfish reasons, of course. If something were to happen to you, I'd never get to read the next book!
Sabrina at August 5, 2013 5:35 AM
Amy Alkon
http://www.advicegoddess.com/archives/2013/08/04/horrifically_ev.html#comment-3838674">comment from SabrinaThanks, Sabrina -- and I would say "attempted massacre and/or maiming" is correct. Many people could have been killed. It was a beautiful day, and a Saturday, and August. This is the time the boardwalk is THE most crowded.
Amy Alkon at August 5, 2013 7:23 AM
I can agree that ATTEMPTED massacre is more appropriate, but to advertise it as a massacre is pretty misleading. Not accusing anyone here of doing that, but that sorta stuck out to me in that article from that tweet.
Regardless, I hope to God that the man who did this is brought to swift justice.
Sabrina at August 5, 2013 8:03 AM
I will never understand the mentality here. Did he want to die? Why take people with him? Does California have the death penalty? I'm thinking not. Too bad, he deserves it. Mentally ill or no.
I'm glad you're ok and YAY-you're getting the puppy??
momof4 at August 5, 2013 9:38 AM
I didn't hear about this until last night. I've walked that boardwalk before. Scary. Glad to hear you and yours are OK, Amy.
Cousin Dave at August 6, 2013 8:18 AM
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