FAIRFIELD, California. – Days after a mass shooting at a Halloween store in Fairfield left a pregnant mother of four dead and six others injured, police announced Monday that a 17-year-old suspect was in custody.
The Fairfield Police Department could not release the teen’s name because he is a juvenile. Fairfield Police Chief Dan Marshall said officers knew the identity of the suspect shortly after the shooting, but withheld the information to avoid compromising the investigation.
The teenager was arrested at his home in the city of Suisun, police said.
Suspect faces murder and attempted murder charges
What we know:
The teen faces one count of murder. Because the victim is pregnant, the prosecutor’s office could file an additional murder charge.
The suspect also faces six counts of attempted murder for the injured victims.
Marshall said the teen was previously arrested in connection with a 2025 shooting in a local high school parking lot. He was charged in the case and spent several months in juvenile prison before his release.
Marshall said he hopes the community can sleep a little better knowing the suspect is no longer on the streets, but added more needs to be done to combat gun violence involving minors.
“It’s time for change in California,” Marshall said. “I don’t know how many more people will die at the hands of young people. I hope we have enough.”
What happened in the Halloween store
The backstory:
Downtown Solano’s Halloween pop-up shop was filled with costumes and decorations Friday night as families searched for last-minute items.
The situation changed around 8:30 p.m. when the suspect entered the store and noticed a customer who investigators believe was his target.
Police said the teen pulled out a gun and fired multiple times, hitting his target and six other people inside the store.
Constance Hages, 31, a pregnant mother of four, was killed in the shooting. Six other men, aged 16 to 43, were injured, police said. Two of the victims have since been released from hospital. Police said Monday that a 19-year-old remained in critical condition.
Constance Hages, 31, was killed in a shooting at a Spirit Halloween store on October 30, 2026.
What we don’t know:
Marshall could not say whether Hages was the intended target or which of the injured victims was intended.
Shoppers flee as gunfire erupts
What they say:
The gunfire caused shoppers to crouch and hide for cover. The chaotic moments were captured on video.
“When we went there, we just heard pop, pop, pop, pop, pop,” Miena Davis recalled. “Everyone froze and asked, ‘What was that?’ Then another burst of the same sound rang out. Then me and a group of buyers started running – we just booked.”
Davis said shoppers escaped through a door inside the store that led back to the mall.
“They managed to open it, so we dove under the little crack in the corner and escaped,” she said.
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How police identified the suspect
Local perspective:
The teen fled within minutes, but authorities were able to identify him through the initial 911 call, a school resource officer and surveillance video, police said.
The school resource officer recognized the teen as a former student. Police did not say which school the teen attended or where the officer worked.
The Halloween store has since been dismantled, which is routine for the temporary store after Halloween.
Hages’ family started a GoFundMe campaign to help cover his burial costs.
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