A quiet Tuesday afternoon turned into a nightmare in Granada Hills when a 74-year-old man walked into a local day care and opened fire. The terrifying scene unfolded just after noon at the Kids Dream Learning Center, located inside a two-story home on Firma Court, not far from Robert Frost Middle School.
According to the Los Angeles Police Department, the man entered the facility with a shotgun and fired a single round, hitting two women in their 50s, reported KTLA. Thankfully, no children were harmed during the incident, but the shock and fear rippled through the neighborhood as families rushed to check on their little ones.
Paramedics from the Los Angeles Fire Department quickly arrived at the scene and transported both victims to a nearby hospital. Officials said their injuries didn’t appear to be life-threatening, though details about their condition haven’t been released.
What makes this even scarier is that authorities haven’t confirmed whether any of the children inside actually saw what happened. That part remains unclear for now.
The shooter didn’t stick around. After firing the shot, he fled in a Tesla, sparking a police search. Officers later tracked him down in the area of Balboa Boulevard and Sherman Way, where he was taken into custody without further incident. His name hasn’t been released yet, and police are still trying to figure out what led him to target the day care in the first place.
As the investigation continued, police worked to reunite the children with their parents. It was an emotional and tense few hours for families, many of whom showed up to find their street completely blocked off. Only residents were allowed through, and the area was eerily quiet for most of the afternoon.
The day care, which operates out of a home, serves local families in a peaceful residential neighborhood. That peace was shattered in seconds, and now people are left wondering why it happened and whether their children were exposed to something that could have lasting effects.
Authorities haven’t shared any motive yet, and they’re keeping details close as the investigation unfolds. What’s clear is how fast everything escalated — and how lucky it is that no children were physically harmed.
As one parent said at the scene, it’s the kind of thing you never expect to happen in your neighborhood, let alone at a day care where your child is supposed to be safe.
Now the community waits for answers. And while the two women recover in the hospital and the suspect sits in custody, the bigger questions remain. What pushed this man to carry out such a terrifying act, and how do families move forward knowing that something so violent could happen so close to home?