AFTERMATH—Simi Valley police lead Jaime Paredes away in handcuffs from the Family Dental Care building in Simi Valley Wednesday after he allegedly shot four people. MICHAEL COONS/Special to the Acorn On Wednesday morning, a man wielding a high-powered military-style assault rifle opened fire in a dental office on the west end of Simi Valley, killing one woman and critically wounding three others, police said.

The deceased woman was identified by the Ventura County medical examiner's office as Mariela Paredes, 24, of Simi.

Simi Police Lt. Paul Fitzpatrick said Thursday that the suspected gunman is Paredes' husband, 30-year-old Jaime Paredes. Initial interviews with witnesses and family members indicate that Paredes was distressed over a recent separation between him and his wife, police said.

The couple have a 7-year-old daughter who is being cared for by family members.

According to Sgt. Adam Darough, dispatch received numerous 911 calls at 10:38 a.m. July 1 from employees inside the Family Dental Care office at 495 E. Los Angeles Ave. The employees told police a man was shooting inside the building, which is on the northwest corner of Los Angeles Avenue and Sinaloa Road.

Fitzpatrick said Jaime Paredes entered the office from the rear of the building and began shouting his wife's name, then fatally shot his wife and wounded three others. Before the police arrived, one gunshot victim escaped and fled to a nearby business where he received medical help.

Police units responded at the scene within minutes and secured the perimeter of the building.

Lt. David Livingstone estimated that there were 30 officers involved, adding that every officer in the station responded to the call and that some were called in from home to help.

As the first officers arrived the last shot was fired, but the gunman was still hiding inside the building, Darough said.

During the standoff, officers and SWAT team members worked to rescue people from the dentist office and an adjoining Chiropractic Orthopedics office, many coming out through windows on the side of the building.

Darough drove an armored personnel carrier to assist in the evacuation while other officers rescued employees and patients on foot.

Altogether, 17 people were rescued from the building, the sergeant said.

A crisis negotiator spoke to the shooter through a telephone and eventually convinced him to come out. According to police, one of the suspect's relatives came to the scene and was talking to him on a cellphone, which was handed to the hostage negotiator.

The negotiation took about 15 to 20 minutes, Livingstone said.

The alleged gunman exited the building and surrendered to officers at 11:38, exactly one hour after the first 911 call.

"He was very cooperative at that point . . . and was arrested without any incident," Livingstone said.

When officers went into the building, they found Mariela Paredes' body. Two women and one man, all Simi residents and Family Dental Care employees, were seriously wounded: Lydia Carranza, 41, Gloria Castrellon, 37, and Christian Carpio, 18.

Carranza was flown to Los Robles Hospital and Medical Center via helicopter while Castrellon and Carpio were taken by ambulance to Simi Valley Hospital.

Police said a fourth person injured her ankle while fleeing the office building.

An SKS assault rifle with a pistol grip and multiple rounds of ammunition were recovered at the scene. Paredes has no prior record of gang or domestic violence. He was convicted for misdemeanor vandalism in 1997.

Los Angeles Avenue was closed between Madera Road and Fifth Street around 11:30 a.m. and was reopened at 4 p.m.

Livingstone said the traumatic events of the day are sure to have a lasting impact both on officers and on residents who are not used to seeing such senseless acts of violence in their community.

"Imagine going to the dentist and someone barges in with an assault rifle," he said. "You don't go to the dentist expecting to have to make a life-or-death decision, so I imagine for those people who were in there, they will never forget this."