A man arrested in the shooting of his elderly mother and two others who died at a home in Point Loma Wednesday afternoon was identified by police Thursday.
William Bushey, 60, was arrested on double murder charges in the shooting deaths of a woman in her 60s and a man in his 30s at the home on Zola Street, according to the San Diego Police Department. He is also accused of attempted murder in the shooting of his mother, who is in her 80s and remained hospitalized following the shooting.
Colleen Crowden, a neighbor and friend, identified the woman who lived there was June Bushey. She said June Bushey had a daughter and grandsons who matched the ages of the two people killed. San Diego police said they expected to release the identities of the deceased victims Friday.
Crowden said June Bushey had lived in the Point Loma home her entire life. The gray single-family home was her childhood home and she was a graduate of Point Loma High School, which is just a block away.
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"She's just a nice lady, I mean, we both have gardens, we share our vegetables, she comes down all the time and we have a cup of tea," Crowden said. "It's just unbelievable. Everybody on this block – she would be the last person I would think something would happen to, you know? She's just a nice kind lady."
William Bushey lived with his mother for the last two-plus decades, according to Crowden. She said he had a medical condition and had moved home so June Bushey could care for him.
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On Wednesday shortly before 4 p.m., Crowden said she heard several loud noises but didn't immediately realize they were gunshots.
"And then I see my neighbor June coming down the hill and she had blood on her pants, and my first reaction, because I had not thought that those were gunshots, my first reaction when I saw her she was walking like this, and I thought, 'Oh my god, she's cut herself really bad and I’m gonna have to take her to emergency," Crowden recalled. "I'm on my deck and she's coming down the hill, I'm screaming, 'June, what happened? What happened?'"
She said she ran to try and help June Bushey before she was told to stay away from the scene. Crowden was talking to police on her own patio shortly thereafter when she saw officers bring William Bushey out of her neighbor's home in handcuffs.
"I see them bring Billy, her son, down in handcuffs. And I said, 'That’s her son, that’s Billy," Crowden said, "and so she got on her little thing and said, 'The neighbor has identified the suspect as her son."
According to Lt. Jud Campbell with the San Diego Police Department, William Bushey was at the front of the house when officers arrived and was taken into custody without struggle.
At the scene of the shooting Wednesday, a woman who described herself to police as a close friend of the victims was near collapse after hearing of the tragedy. She said the family contacted police about the potential of this very thing happening one or two days ago.
"This is my best friend, and the police turned her away yesterday," she was heard telling police.
"We ask our officers every day to make very difficult decisions, and even when they make the right decision -- which in this case they did -- tragedies can still happen," Dobbs said. "And don't think for a minute that the officers aren't second-guessing themselves based on the results that happened in this."
during a news conference One victim was found in a side-yard area, while the other one may have been found in the kitchen area inside. The elderly woman was found in front of the home, Lt. Campbell said.
"She was found out front here at the street," Campbell said. "Officers took her away from the scene and began rendering aid until paramedics could come and get her and rush her to the hospital."
Police said her condition was stable.
Officers also located what appeared to be a shotgun in the front yard near where the suspect was found that they say was likely the murder weapon, SDPD said.
The garage door of the home looked like it was recently crushed inward, but no vehicle in the area seemed to have caused it. Police later confirmed that patrol officers breached the door while checking the scene.
The circumstances that led to the shooting were not immediately clear. SDPD's Homicide Unit is still investigating.
Campbell said that multiple people called 911, including the shooter. He also said there have been prior calls to the residence, but it is not known what those calls were for or when.
"As part of this investigation, we are going to be looking at every time that we may have been on this street or been in contact with anyone that is involved in this," Campbell said.
Marjie Carver lives down the street. She was home at the time and didn't hear the shooting, but she saw the helicopter.
"We've lived here over 20 years and never had anything like that," Carver said. "I'm stunned that it ever happened. I am saddened that it happened."
Police are asking anyone with information or who knows the family to call the Homicide Unit at 619-531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.
William Bushey is due in downtown San Diego Superior Court for an arraignment on Friday at 1 p.m.
