California Mom Shot and Killed in BBQ Restaurant by Her Ex-Boyfriend in Murder-Suicide By Charlotte Phillipp

A California community is mourning the loss of a mom of two after she was shot and killed by her ex-boyfriend in a murder-suicide that took place inside a barbecue restaurant.

According to police in La Habra — located about 25 miles southeast of Los Angeles — a man identified as 35-year-old Jonathan Wang walked into a Korean barbecue restaurant at around 6:45 p.m. local time on Tuesday, Oct. 14, and shot Jacqueline Medrano, 45, before turning the gun on himself.

“Based on preliminary information, the incident appears to be a targeted attack of murder–suicide. Mr. Wang shot Ms. Medrano before dying from a self-inflicted gunshot wound,” police said in a statement, adding that Los Angeles County Fire Department paramedics pronounced them both dead at the scene.

“Investigators have no indications of any outstanding suspects, and there is no known threat to the public,” police said.

According to police, several witnesses were inside the restaurant — Gui Gui 9292 Korean BBQ, located on Imperial Highway — at the time of the shooting, but no one else was injured.

Investigators said Medrano and Wang had previously been in a romantic relationship. Medrano, a urology nurse, had a criminal protective order against Wang in place since Sept. 16. The order prevented Wang from contacting Medrano, and was active at the time of the shooting.

KTLA and ABC 7 Los Angeles reported that Wang was arrested in Long Beach on July 15 after police received a report of domestic violence.

The Long Beach City Prosecutor’s Office then filed a case against Wang, alleging he willfully caused injury to Medrano.

According to the victim’s statement obtained by the outlets, Wang “punched Medrano one time in the mouth, grabbed her by the front of the neck, pushed her to the ground, then held her down by the back of her neck.”

Wang was due back in court in November for a pre-trial conference, Long Beach City Prosecutor Douglas P. Haubert told the outlets. Wang was prohibited from owning, purchasing or possessing a firearm.

On Thursday, Oct. 23, Medrano’s friends and family gathered in the nearby city of San Pedro for a vigil and displayed flowers, candles and photos of the devoted mom.

Community members who spoke to KTLA said that Wang was still stalking Medrano, but she continued to show up for work as a nurse at a Kaiser Permanente facility.

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“It just proves how hard-working she was,” Medrano’s coworker, Maria Barragan, told the outlet. “All that she was going through, you would have never known.”

“She’s my hero, my role model forever in life, and no one can take that away,” Magali Rodriguez, Medrano’s niece, added. “She’s not a victim. She’s a hero.”

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health challenges, emotional distress, substance use problems, or just needs to talk, call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org 24/7.