Gunman kills four at Nevada mall

 In Nevada's sleepy capital city that hasn't had a homicide in three years, Tuesday's rampage by Eduardo Sencion, 32, of Carson City "is unquestionably the most devastating attack on our community" in its history, Sheiff Kenny Furlong said.

Sencion armed with an AK-47 assault rifle and a pistol killed four people, including three National Guardsmen, and wounded seven others before shooting himself during the breakfast rush at restaurant in a Carson City strip mall, the sheriff said.

The National Guardsmen were dining at the restaurant with a group of fellow Guard members, Furlong said. Sencion shot and wounded two others in the group and six civilians.

Brigadier General William Burks identified the National Guard members as Major Heath Kelly, 35, of Reno, a decorated artillery officer who had served in Iraq; Sgt. 1st Class Miranda McElhiney, 31, of Reno, who handled human resources, medical and dental issues for soldiers and was known at the National Guard base in Carson City for bringing cupcakes for co-workers' birthdays and other celebrations, and Sgt. 1st Class Christian Riege, 38, of Carson City, a father of three children who had served in Afghanistan in 2009 and 2010.

"The tapestry of these people's rich lives is hard to sum up in a few words," Burks said.

Also killed was Florence Donovan-Gunderson, 67, of South Lake Tahoe, a civilian who was eating breakfast with her husband, Furlong said.

Investigators believe Sencion, who died Tuesday afternoon at a Reno hospital, acted alone. They are searching for a motive and do not know whether he targeted the Guardsmen. Sencion had no tie to the National Guard and never served in the military, Furlong said.

"Obviously with five out of the 11 victims uniformed National Guardsmen, that has taken a priority interest in our investigation," Furlong said.

Sencion's family told investigators Sencion had "some mental health issues," Furlong said.

He had no criminal record in Carson City and worked at his family's business in South Lake Tahoe.

Furlong said police found two other weapons, a rifle and a pistol, in Sencion's vehicle. Only one of the three weapons was fired, he said.

Police found an empty 30-round magazine and two other 30-round clips that contained bullets, he said.

After the shooting, authorities locked down the state Capitol and Supreme Court for nearly an hour. National Guard installations around the state increased security, Furlong said.

Sheriff's deputies found Sencion lying on the ground between two cars parked in the lot outside the pancake restaurant.

After leaving the restaurant, Sencion "spun around in the parking lot shooting" before turning the gun on himself, Furlong said.

Sencion, who drove his brother's blue minivan into the strip mall parking lot a few minutes before 9 a.m., first shot a woman who was standing beside a motorcycle outside the restaurant, Furlong said.

Then, he entered the restaurant where he walked past hostesses at the door into the main dining room and began shooting.

A few minutes later, Sencion emerged from the restaurant and sprayed the windows of a barbeque restaurant and an H&R Block office with automatic fire.

"We have bullets all over the restaurant," Locals Barbecue owner Ralph Swagler said. Swagler dove to the floor as soon as bullets hit the windows and walls of his business.

Employees at the tax office fled to a back room and bathroom as the gunman blew out the front door, said Jayne Peters, who was taking a tax class.

"I kept thinking he was in our building," she said. "We were just huddled in the bathroom in the dark. It was really scary."

Fran Hunter, who works at a nearby pet shop, had been eating breakfast when she heard the shots.

"I don't know what's happening to my city," Hunter said. "This happens in L.A. or Las Vegas but not here."