Suspect in Tulare County shooting of mother, baby surrounded, officer hit by round

A mother and her 9-month-old daughter were shot Thursday morning by the mother’s boyfriend, who is holed up in a home in Tulare where shots have been fired, the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office said.

Tulare County Sheriff’s deputies and the sheriff’s SWAT team have a home on Richard Smith Avenue surrounded and have evacuated neighbors. One officer was hit in the helmet by a bullet or ricochet, and was treated at a hospital and released.

The suspect is identified as Larry Zamora, 37.

UPDATE: Suspect in shooting of mother, baby takes his own life after hours-long Tulare standoff

Sheriff Mike Boudreaux said Zamora had gone to a home east of Tulare to attend a party.

An argument took place and he shot a mother and her child. It is not known if Zamora and the mother are married but they have some kind of relationship, he said.

The 9-month-old child is in “grave condition” at Valley Children’s Hospital in Madera County, Boudreaux said.

Deputies got a description of the suspect’s car and found it at a home in Tulare.

A mother and two children were in the home with the suspect but officers were able to get them out safely.

Only Zamora is in the home as the incident continues, Boudreaux said.

Boudreaux said Zamora fired several rounds at an armored vehicle about 9:30 a.m. The gunfire was rapid but authorities don't know if he has an automatic or semi-automatic weapon, he said.

A California Highway Patrol helicopter is circling overhead.

Boudreaux described the situation as "dangerous" and said it could go on for hours or even days.

Zamora opened fire from the garage and hit a Tulare police officer in the helmet, he said. The officer was hit by a bullet or ricochet from one, he said.

Tulare Police Chief Wes Hensley said the officer was taken to a hospital and was treated and released.

About 2:30 a.m. Thursday, the sheriff’s office got a call about a domestic disturbance in the 22700 block of Road 130, east of Tulare.

The arriving deputy found a woman and her child who both had been shot.

The names of the victims were not released.

This story will be updated.

This story was originally published October 13, 2016 at 12:21 PM with the headline "Suspect in Tulare County shooting of mother, baby surrounded, officer hit by round."