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Investigators: No Connection Between Placer County Gunman And 93-Year-Old Victim

PLACER COUNTY (CBS13) — Investigators are saying there is no connection between the gunman in Tuesday night's shooting spree in Placer County and the 93-year-old Mary Toste, who died from her injuries. Detectives still have not released the suspect's name.

Toste was the first gunned down in Penryn Tuesday night in a shooting spree that spanned from Loomis to near Roseville.

From there the gunman went on a shooting rampage, flashing his weapon and firing at a driver in Loomis and then at Brian Pierce, the owner of a local solar company, while he was driving in his truck.

Pierce's his shoulder was injured. He is in surgery and expected to be ok.

RELATED: Placer County K9 Hurt While Stopping Shooting Spree Suspect Expected To Survive

"We received numerous 911 calls, describing what was occurring and where it was occurring, it was a moving scene," said Lt. Andrew Scott.

One gunman terrorizing drivers along Rock Springs Road, leaving seven crime scenes in an hour and a half before law enforcement stopped him at the I-80 on-ramp to Highway 65.

"I heard about 10-14 pops. It was a lot of chaos and lots of cops going by," said a bystander Tuesday night.

Law enforcement shot and killed the gunman on the freeway, where he crashed his car. K9 officer Eros was shot in the confrontation but is already recovering.

A total of four agencies responded. Authorities say their training and the use of a K9 officer helped end the terror more quickly and prevent more lives from being lost.

READ ALSO: South Lake Tahoe Man, 71, Suspected Of Hitting Roommate With Firewood, Killing Her

"All our deputies have an extensive amount of training, we believe that training is very important to service we provide. Part of that is active shooter training and dealing with these types of incidents. [We] flood the area so his person can't escape," Scott said.

Neighbors who didn't want to go on camera remembered 93-year-old Mary Toste as a vibrant.

"She was still walking around the house in high heels...very energetic," said one man.

Toste was shot and killed on the front doorstep of her Penryn home Tuesday night.

She could often be seen out on her 13 acres gardening and she lost her husband of over 60 years just before Christmas.

"I guess she is with her husband Joe now. She said she is missing him dearly," her neighbor went on to say.

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