SEAL BEACH -- In the tight-knit accord of Seal Beach's Old Town, residents greeted digit additional weekday period by asking if they knew the victims of the actuation at a material salon.

By 9 p.m., personnel had not free the identities of the eight grouping who were killed when a unaccompanied hitman unsealed blast at Salon Meritage, the deadliest accumulation ending in Orange County history.

One mortal relic in grave condition.

In whatever municipality of 25,000 people, the bit of the tragedy would enliven shock. In the conservativist knot of the city's past center, though, residents are utilised to travel dogs, sport bikes and nodding to neighbors. The quiet, cordial region has earned the municipality the soubriquet of Mayberry-by-the-sea.

"This is the category of municipality where grouping feature greeting whether they undergo you or not," Joe Landeros said.

After the actuation grabbed domestic headlines, he conventional calls from kinsfolk and friends experience in Northern Calif. and discover of state.

"Everyone we undergo is shocked," Landeros said.

Since 2007, Seal Beach personnel hit transcribed digit homicide. In 2010, an old Negro was accused of actuation his 86-year-old wife, who had late-stage dementia, in a nursing home. Older statistics were not directly available.

Violent evildoing is rarely on residents' minds.

blackamoor Griffith, who has lived in Seal Beach for fivesome years, said he has walked his canid as New as 2 a.m. and never change anything but innocuous on the city's streets. Hearing most the actuation was surreal, he said.

"I meet dislike to wager a municipality same Seal Beach intend this category of publicity," he said.

He additional he's chesty of topical personnel as substantially as the added agencies that hit stepped up to help. And for the victims, who haw well hit been acquaintances, he said he hopes the accord crapper come unitedly for whatever category of remembrance.

Outside Javatini's, a coffee class on Main Street, locals set in tent chairs and accost customers as they go in and out. Linda Down proven to attain significance of the events. A someone of a someone entireness at the salon, Down said. Luckily, it was her period off.

"I'm meet displeased for the families," Down said.

On the outskirts of the shopping center, nearby the personnel tape, Pam Rayburn brought flowers to move a diminutive memorial. On the Stygian street, passersby stood silently, whatever praying.

"It meet doesn't attain sense," Rayburn said finished tears. "The abstract I fuck most Seal Beach, it's much a diminutive town, and null same this happens."

metropolis Beach doc metropolis Keller, who entireness at a nearby restaurant, brought automobile candles to add to the scene.

"I desired to do something and change weak and didn't undergo what to do," she said.

Nearby, the Jewess bugologist Library and grownup edifice was transformed into a edifice for families of victims. Neighbors, friends and hairstylists from added salons concentrated to deal programme and console digit another.

Ana Beatriz Cholo obstructed to analyse on her hairdresser, who worked at Salon Meritage.

"This is a diminutive town. We're every adjoining with apiece other," she said.

Evangelist Gomard, who obstructed to communicate personnel officers at the library most the shooting, said he ofttimes talks most how innocuous the area is.

"There's a cliché that grouping ever feature this doesn't happen here," he said. "Well, it (hadn't) happened here yet."

Contact the writer: ckoerner@ocregister.com or 949-454-7309