UPDATE: Former DPS Officer and Fiancee Shot to Death in Irvine
UPDATE| Feb. 7 3:44 p.m.: The U.S. Navy confirmed that Dorner was honorably discharged on Friday, two days before the double homicide. Dorner was primarily stationed in San Diego. During his service, he was awarded several medals, including Nation Defense Service Medal. Later, Anderson Cooper revealed that Dorner mailed him a package that arrived the first of February with a hand-labled DVD and a Post-It note that said, "I never lied." In response to the situation, LAPD Police Cheif Charlie Beck said, "I would tell him to turn himself in... This has gone far enough. You know nobody else has to die."
UPDATE | Feb. 7 9:08 a.m.: Police identified former LAPD officer Christopher Dorner as the lead suspect in the slayings of Quan and Lawrence. He is suspected in two related shootings in Riverside County early Thursday morning.
Dorner was fired from the LAPD back in 2008. In the hearing that led to his firing, Dorner was represented by then-LAPD Capt. Randy Quan, Monica Quan's father.
UPDATE | 3:23 p.m.: DPS Chief John Thomas released the following statement regarding the shooting death of Officer Keith Lawrence:
"It is with great sadness and a very heavy heart that I announce the untimely death of a member of the DPS Family, PSO I Keith Lawrence. Officer Lawrence and his fiancée were discovered deceased earlier this morning; victims of a senseless act of violence in the City of Irvine.
During his brief tenure of service here at USC, Officer Lawrence proved to be an honorable, compassionate and professional member of our department and the Trojan Family. We are a better department and the USC Campus Community is a safer place as a result of his service.
Please continue to espouse those same values of honor, commitment to duty, professionalism and compassion as we continue to add to his legacy and those that we all share as members of the law enforcement/public safety community.
I would also ask that you remember Keith and his fiancée's families in your thoughts and prayers as they grieve and begin the healing process and move forward from this tragic loss of their loved ones."
Also, Long Beach State Athletics, for which Lawrence's wife Monica Quan used to play basketball, released a statement on Facebook mourning the loss of Quan.
"Our thoughts are with friends and family of Monica Quan, former 49er student athlete and assistant coach at Cal State Fullerton. Sad Day."
ORIGINAL STORY | 12:13 p.m.: A USC Department of Public Safety officer and his fiancee were found shot to death in a parking lot of an upscale condominium complex near UC Irvine Sunday night.
The death of the victims are being investigated as a double homicide and not a murder-suicide.
Police have identified the bodies as Keith Lawrence, 27, and Monica Quan, 28. They were found with gunshot wounds in Lawrence’s parked car at 9:10 p.m. Sunday.
DPS Captian David Carlisle confirmed Keith Lawrence did work for the DPS for less than a year.
The couple recently moved into the Watermarke building at 2100 Scholarship in Irvine.
Monica Quan was the assistant basketball coach for the Cal State Fullerton women’s basketball team and a former player at Concordia University, Long Beach State and Walnut High School.
Cal State Fullerton President Mildred Garcia released a statement saying, "The loss of any member of the Titan family causes our community great grief, but the loss of one of our own under these circumstances is indeed tragic and heartwrenching."
Garcia also sent a note to Cal State Fullerton educators and students that said:
"We hope that Monica's family and friends will feel and be comforted by our support during this difficult time. In addition, counselors will be working with our staff and student-athletes as we all begin to struggle with the suddenness of losing such a special member or our university."
Additional details about the victims are not yet available.
