LA County Sheriff: Azusa shooting suspect was on cocaine binge

Brenna Varney couldn't hold back the tears.

"He was my last living grandparent," she said as she reflected on her grandfather, Bill Varney. Family friend Cindy Major added, "This was the kindest man who probably came out to see what was going on."

For Cindy and Brenna, it's impossible to understand what was going on in the mind of the shooter.

Investigators said a woman driving a van drove up a parking lot in Azusa, made a right turn in front of a house where a 45-year-old man shot the woman, who then hit a car.

At that point, Varney walked outside of his house to see what was going on. He had just returned from a trip to the store. He was shot and killed.

"Who would ever think of that," Major said. "You're going to go to the store, come back and come outside to help somebody that something happened and you're going to get killed."

There are bullet holes in Varney's windows and house. Next door, where the suspect was, there are also a bunch of bullet holes. When police arrived, investigators said the suspect shot at them and they shot and killed him.

What triggered all of this? That's still under investigation but deputies said the suspect was on a cocaine binge when he killed Varney and wounded the two women.

"I hated cocaine at the beginning and I still hate cocaine," Varney's grandaughter said.

Bill Varney loved NASCAR. He loved this house. He lived in it for 50 years. His wife Joyce died from cancer five years ago.

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