Alex Lin, 44, was shot and killed on January 28, 2017, in the underground parking structure at the Target store in Brea Marketplace Shopping Center. The shooting occurred about 9:30 a.m. as Lin was walking toward the store entrance. Witnesses reported multiple gunshots; officers found Lin with several gunshot wounds and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators treated the incident as possibly an isolated event and said there was no immediate threat to the public. Police believed the homicide occurred during the commission of a robbery. A suspect, 22-year-old Thomas Allen Jenkins III, was arrested the next day in Moreno Valley with SWAT assistance and booked on suspicion of murder. A second person was later arrested and also charged with murder in connection to Lin’s death.

Brea police drew criticism on social media over delays in releasing information; the department said careful handling of the investigation was necessary to avoid compromising evidence or allowing suspects to flee. If anyone has information about what happened that morning or knew Alex Lin, please come forward.