An off-duty Monterey Park Police officer was fatally shot in the parking lot of a Downey gym on Monday triggering a massive search for the suspect.
26-year-old Gardiel Solorio had just started his lifelong dream of being a policeman when his life was cut short at around 3:25 p.m. near the Glenn Anderson (105) Freeway.
Solorio was found unresponsive in his car and investigators are considering whether his job had anything to do with the killing.
“Although his time with Monterey Park Police was very short, we all knew from the moment we met him that he had the heart of service and was going to be a great officer,” MPP Chief Kelly Gordon said.
“The loss of any life is tragic. The loss of this life is especially painful when it’s one of our own. You know this is all fresh. We’re mourning right now.”
Solorio was the youngest of his 13 siblings. He was hired by the department in January and started a field training program late last month.
