FAIRFIELD, CA — A 17-year-old boy is in custody in Solano County after a shooting inside a Spirit Halloween store at Solano Town Center in Fairfield left a pregnant mother dead and six other people wounded. Police say the teen faces a murder charge and multiple attempted murder charges after Friday night’s gunfire at the Northern California shopping center.
Fairfield police identified the fatal victim as 31-year-old Constance Hages, a pregnant mother of four. Authorities said seven people were shot in all. Investigators believe the suspect fired at a customer he thought was the intended target, then struck several people with multiple rounds inside the store.
Police say a mistaken target set off the shooting inside the store
Fairfield Police Department spokesperson Michelle Belyea said the suspect saw another customer whom investigators believe was the intended target. Police say the teen then pulled out a gun and opened fire inside the store, creating a chaotic scene at the busy shopping center.
The shooting took place Friday night, when people were inside the Spirit Halloween location at Solano Town Center. Police have not publicly described what led up to the confrontation before the gunfire. What investigators do say is that the attack left Hages dead at the store and sent six other people to be treated for injuries.
Authorities have not released the names of the wounded. They have also not said whether the intended target was among those injured in the shooting.
Surveillance video helped investigators identify the suspect
Police said a school resource officer recognized the suspect after reviewing surveillance video. Fairfield officials described him as a former student, a detail they said helped investigators quickly narrow down the suspect’s identity after the shooting.
That identification became central to the investigation as detectives worked through video and witness accounts from the crowded store. Fairfield police have said the case remains active and that additional details may still emerge as investigators piece together the sequence of events inside the shopping center.
For now, authorities say the video review was a key step in moving from an active shooting scene to a named suspect. The department has not said how long it took to match the teen to the footage.
SWAT operation in Suisun City ended with a peaceful surrender
Police arrested the 17-year-old on Monday after a SWAT operation at a home in Suisun City. Officers were seen outside the residence late into the night before the suspect ultimately surrendered peacefully, according to Fairfield police.
The arrest capped several days of investigation after the Friday night shooting. Fairfield police did not say whether anyone else at the home was detained or whether officers recovered a weapon during the operation. The department also has not detailed what information led investigators to the Suisun City address.
What is clear is that the arrest came without another shooting or reported injury during the standoff. Officials have not announced a court appearance date or whether the juvenile will remain in custody pending further proceedings.
Chief says the teen had faced a separate gun case before
Fairfield police said the suspect had previously faced charges in an unrelated shooting last year involving gunfire into a vehicle in the parking lot of a local high school. Police Chief Dan Marshall referred to that case while criticizing what he described as the teen’s return to violence after a period in juvenile hall.
Marshall said the suspect had served a few months in juvenile hall before being released. He added that the teen was now back in custody after what the chief called a “horrendous crime.” The department did not provide additional details about the earlier case beyond describing it as unrelated.
The juvenile’s prior case may factor into how prosecutors and the court proceed, but police have not said what specific charges or findings came out of the earlier shooting.
District attorney will decide whether to seek a double murder charge
Police say the Solano County District Attorney’s Office will decide whether the juvenile should face a double-murder charge in connection with the deaths of Hages and her unborn baby. That decision would depend on how prosecutors interpret the case under California law and the facts gathered so far.
For Hages’ family, the loss has already left a painful mark. Family members told KGO-TV they remain devastated by her death. Outside the Spirit Halloween store on Monday, only a small memorial was left in her memory, and the store’s sign had been removed.
The investigation remains ongoing as authorities continue reviewing evidence, witness statements and the timeline of the shooting. Police have not said when they expect to finish their work or whether more arrests are possible.
