Man accused in Banning triple shooting charged with murder, attempted murder
A 22-year-old man accused of gunning down two people and seriously wounding a third person during an attack near Interstate 10 in Banning was charged today with two counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder.
Dorian Alexander Francisco of Banning was arrested Friday following a manhunt that began two days earlier, following the alleged attack in the 3300 block of Ramsey Street, just west of Sunset Avenue.
Along with the murder and attempted murder counts, Francisco is charged with special circumstance allegations of taking multiple lives in a crime, as well as sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations.
The defendant, who is being held without bail at the Smith Correctional Facility, was slated to make his initial court appearance Wednesday afternoon at the nearby Banning Justice Center.
According to the Banning Police Department, Francisco allegedly opened fire on the three victims -- none of whom have been publicly identified -- shortly before 5 p.m. on Dec. 28 in a non-residential area less than a quarter- mile north of I-10.
Police did not provide information on the possible circumstances, or a motive, saying only that the victims were part of a group gathered at the location.
After the gunfire erupted, witnesses called 911, and patrol officers converged on the scene, from which the shooter had fled, authorities said.
One man was pronounced dead by paramedics. The other two victims, a man and woman, were taken to Riverside University Medical Center in Moreno Valley with life-threatening wounds. The woman died at the hospital Wednesday night, according to police.
The third victim was in stable condition Wednesday.
Detectives quickly developed leads pointing to Francisco as the alleged perpetrator, and a multi-agency search was initiated, netting results about 4 p.m. Friday, when Banning patrol officers took the defendant into custody without incident on East Ramsey Street.
Francisco has no documented prior felony or misdemeanor convictions in Riverside County. His only listed offenses are for being an unlicensed driver and speeding last March. Both were infractions, resulting in fines.
