Palm Springs Shooting Suspect in Custody Following 12-Hour Standoff

The suspected shooter was taken into custody early Sunday, authorities said

A suspect accused of shooting three Palm Springs police officers, two fatally, was taken into custody early Sunday following a lengthy standoff with law enforcement.

The shooting occurred on Cypress Road just after noon on Saturday, according to the Palm Springs Police Department.

A woman called police to report that her adult son was causing a disturbance. When officers arrived, the man threatened that he would shoot through the door, an officer with the Palm Springs Police Department said.

The suspect, later identified as 26-year-old John Felix, opened fire on the three officers. 

All three were taken to a hospital, where two of the officers — identified as Jose Gilbert Vega and Lesley Zerebny — died.

The third officer was wounded and remained hospitalized. 

"I am awake in a nightmare right now," Palm Springs Police Chief Bryan Reyes said at a news conference. 

Law enforcement officials launched a manhunt for the shooter Saturday night and evacuated local residents on several blocks. Several law enforcement agencies and SWAT teams were assisting with the investigation

Police urged people who live in the area to remain inside and lock their doors. 

Felix surrendered to police and was taken into custody early Sunday morning, the Riverside County Sheriff's Department said. 

He will be booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center on two counts of murder of a police officer, the Palm Springs police department said in a statement.

Vega was a 35-year veteran of the police department. The 63-year-old was due to retire in December. He was not scheduled to work Saturday but chose to work overtime, according to Reyes. 

Vega is survived by his wife and eight children. 

Zerebny, 27, was with the department for a year and a half, Reyes said. She had just returned to work after giving birth to a baby four months ago.

Zerebny is survived by her husband and child. 

NBCLA.com's Jessica Rice and Whitney Irick, and NBC News' Andrew Blankstein and Scott Patterson contributed to this report. 

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