Suspect charged with murder in shooting that killed 2, including officer

A suspect accused of fatally shooting a man and then opening fire on responding officers, killing one of them, has been charged with murder, authorities in Southern California said Tuesday.

The suspect -- 22-year-old Eduardo Roberto Medina Berumen -- is also charged with attempted murder of a peace officer in what authorities described as a chaotic gunfight.

The incident occurred Saturday evening in the Los Angeles County city of Baldwin Park.

Darius Wong, a 43-year-old father of two, was fatally shot after just parking his car, authorities said.

"He was senselessly murdered that night," Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said at a press briefing Tuesday. "This loss is devastating to their family, and all of us."

When Baldwin police officers who responded to a call of a man firing a rifle arrived at the scene, the gunman "immediately" fired upon them, Luna said. Officer Samuel Riveros was killed by the suspect's gunfire, the sheriff said.

"When the bullets were flying, he ran into those bullets to try and keep his community safe and in doing so, he made the ultimate sacrifice of his life," Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said of Riveros at the briefing.

Officer Anthony Pimentel was also injured by shards of glass after a bullet "exploded through a windshield," Hochman said.

A third officer who was among the first to respond to the scene was not injured, authorities said.

The suspect was shot in the exchange of gunfire with officers and remains hospitalized in stable condition, Luna said.

An "AR-15-style weapon" with two high-capacity magazines was recovered at the scene, according to Luna. Near the weapon were approximately 40 to 60 expended casings, according to Hochman.

A motive remains under investigation, Luna said. The sheriff's department is also still investigating whether the suspect had any prior connection to Wong, he said.

Medina Berumen was charged with two counts of murder with the special circumstance allegations of multiple murders and murder of a peace officer, the district attorney's office said. He also faces two counts of attempted murder of a peace officer and one count of possession of an assault weapon. His arraignment will be scheduled for a later date.

If convicted as charged, he faces death or life in state prison without the possibility of parole. A decision on whether to seek the death penalty will be made at a later date, following a review that is expected to take several months, Hochman said.