Casepin
Back to cases

Solved case

Christopher Dorner shootings and manhunt

In February 2013, former LAPD officer Christopher Dorner killed four people, including a police officer's daughter and her fiancé and two law enforcement officers, during a manhunt across Southern California that ended in his death after a standoff at a burning cabin near Big Bear Lake.

SOLVED2013

Cabin near Big Bear Lake, San Bernardino Mountains, California, where the manhunt ended

3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
Illustrative

Christopher Jordan Dorner (June 4, 1979 – February 12, 2013) was a former Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officer and U.S. Navy Reserve lieutenant who, beginning February 3, 2013, carried out a series of shootings targeting LAPD personnel and their associates across Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties, California. Dorner had been fired by the LAPD in 2008 after an internal review found he had made false statements in a report alleging that his training officer, Teresa Evans, used excessive force against a man with schizophrenia. Dorner's appeals of his termination were rejected by the Los Angeles County Superior Court and, in 2011, by the California Court of Appeal.

In early February 2013, Dorner posted an approximately 11,000-word manifesto on Facebook listing law enforcement personnel he intended to kill and demanding that the LAPD publicly acknowledge his termination was retaliatory. He had also sent a package to CNN journalist Anderson Cooper containing a DVD outlining his grievances against the department.

On February 3, 2013, Monica Quan, a 28-year-old assistant basketball coach and daughter of Randal Quan (the retired LAPD captain who had represented Dorner at his 2008 dismissal hearing), and her fiancé Keith Lawrence, 27, a USC campus safety officer, were shot dead in a parked car in Irvine. On February 7, Dorner shot two LAPD officers near Corona, grazing one; approximately twenty minutes later he ambushed two Riverside police officers stopped at a traffic light, killing officer Michael Crain and wounding the other. Dorner's burned vehicle was later found near Big Bear Lake, and he is believed to have occupied a cabin in the area for several days.

That same night, LAPD officers on a protection detail in Torrance mistakenly fired on a vehicle driven by Emma Hernandez and her daughter Margie Carranza, who were delivering newspapers and were unrelated to Dorner; both women were wounded but survived. A separate Torrance Police Department shooting minutes later struck an unrelated vehicle driven by David Perdue, who was not hit by gunfire but was injured when a police cruiser collided with his truck. Neither shooting resulted in criminal charges, though the LAPD later disciplined eight officers for use-of-force policy violations, and settlements were paid to the victims.

On February 12, 2013, after carjacking a couple's truck near Big Bear Lake, Dorner exchanged gunfire with San Bernardino County Sheriff's deputies, killing Detective Jeremiah MacKay and wounding another deputy, before barricading himself in a nearby cabin. Following a standoff involving tear gas and a demolition vehicle, the cabin caught fire; a single gunshot was heard from inside before the blaze consumed the structure. On February 14, medical examiners confirmed via dental records that human remains found in the cabin were Dorner's, and an autopsy later determined he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

Key facts

Victims
Jeremiah MacKay, Monica Quan, Keith Lawrence, Emma Hernandez, Margie Carranza, Michael Crain, David Perdue
Date
2013
Location
Cabin near Big Bear Lake, San Bernardino Mountains, California, where the manhunt ended
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 2007-07-28

    Dorner and training officer Teresa Evans respond to a disturbance at a San Pedro hotel; Dorner later files a report alleging Evans used excessive force.

  2. 2008

    Dorner is fired by the LAPD for making false statements in his report and testimony against Evans.

  3. 2011-10-03

    California Court of Appeal affirms the lower court's ruling upholding Dorner's termination.

  4. 2013-02-01

    A package from Dorner containing a DVD and other items arrives at CNN, addressed to Anderson Cooper.

  5. 2013-02-03

    Monica Quan and Keith Lawrence are shot dead in a parked car in Irvine, California.

  6. 2013-02-04

    Dorner's manifesto is posted online, detailing his grievances and motive.

  7. 2013-02-06

    Irvine police name Dorner as the prime suspect in the murders of Quan and Lawrence.

  8. 2013-02-07

    Dorner shoots two LAPD officers near Corona and ambushes two Riverside officers, killing Officer Michael Crain; LAPD and Torrance police separately shoot two unrelated vehicles, wounding Emma Hernandez and Margie Carranza and injuring David Perdue in a collision.

  9. 2013-02-07

    Dorner's burned vehicle is found near Big Bear Lake; a large-scale search of the area begins.

  10. 2013-02-09

    LAPD Chief Charlie Beck announces a review of Dorner's disciplinary case.

  11. 2013-02-10

    A $1 million reward is announced for information leading to Dorner's capture.

  12. 2013-02-11

    Riverside County prosecutors file formal murder and attempted murder charges against Dorner.

  13. 2013-02-12

    Dorner carjacks a truck near Big Bear Lake, shoots two San Bernardino County Sheriff's deputies (killing Detective Jeremiah MacKay), and barricades himself in a cabin, which catches fire during the standoff.

  14. 2013-02-13

    Human remains and a wallet bearing Dorner's name are found in the burned cabin.

  15. 2013-02-14

    Medical examiners confirm via dental records that the remains are Dorner's.

  16. 2013-02-15

    Autopsy results announced: Dorner died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

  17. 2013-02-16

    A protest against the LAPD is held outside the department's headquarters.

  18. 2013-04

    LAPD pays a $4.2 million settlement to Margie Carranza and Emma Hernandez.

  19. 2014-02-04

    LAPD Chief Charlie Beck announces eight officers violated use-of-force policy and will face discipline.

  20. 2014-07

    City of Torrance reaches a $1.8 million settlement with David Perdue.

Best coverage

No coverage has been attached to this file yet.

Know good coverage? Submit it

People

  • Christopher Dorner

    CONVICTED

    Former LAPD officer charged by Riverside County prosecutors with murder of a police officer and attempted murder of three other officers; died by self-inflicted gunshot during the February 12, 2013 cabin standoff before trial.

  • Jeremiah MacKay

    VICTIM

    San Bernardino County Sheriff's detective killed during the February 12, 2013 cabin standoff.

  • Monica Quan

    VICTIM

    Assistant basketball coach shot dead with her fiancé in Irvine on February 3, 2013.

  • Keith Lawrence

    VICTIM

    USC campus public safety officer shot dead with his fiancée in Irvine on February 3, 2013.

  • Emma Hernandez

    VICTIM

    Newspaper deliverer shot and wounded by LAPD officers who mistook her vehicle for Dorner's on February 7, 2013; received a settlement.

  • Margie Carranza

    VICTIM

    Daughter of Emma Hernandez, wounded in the hand by LAPD officers in the same February 7, 2013 shooting.

  • Michael Crain

    VICTIM

    Riverside police officer killed in an ambush shooting on February 7, 2013.

  • David Perdue

    VICTIM

    Surfer whose vehicle was struck by a police cruiser and fired upon by Torrance police on February 7, 2013 after being mistaken for Dorner's truck; injured in the collision.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Archival records

  • Big Bear Lake San Bernardino Mountains Lucerne Dry Lake California

    unclassified

    Big Bear Lake San Bernardino Mountains Lucerne Dry Lake California

    Credit: Darkest tree · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source

  • Christopher Dorner

    unclassified

    Christopher Dorner

    Credit: Los Angeles Police Department · Public domain · Source

Places

Cabin near Big Bear Lake, San Bernardino Mountains, California, where the manhunt ended

34.2439, -116.9114

View on the map

Common questions

What happened to the victim?
In February 2013, former LAPD officer Christopher Dorner killed four people, including a police officer's daughter and her fiancé and two law enforcement officers, during a manhunt across Southern California that ended in his death after a standoff at a burning cabin near Big Bear Lake.
Where did the shootings happen?
Cabin near Big Bear Lake, San Bernardino Mountains, California, where the manhunt ended.
Who was convicted?
Christopher Dorner (Former LAPD officer charged by Riverside County prosecutors with murder of a police officer and attempted murder of three other officers; died by self-inflicted gunshot during the February 12, 2013 cabin standoff before trial.).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved.
More cases in California

Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDICChristopher Dorner shootings and manhuntWikipedia · 2026-07-07
  2. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles Times · 2026-07-07
  3. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — ABC NewsABC News · 2026-07-07

Record history

First published
JUL 07, 2026

When a file you follow changes — a new development, a correction, fresh coverage — the Dispatch is how you hear about it.

The Casepin Dispatch

A calm weekly briefing from the archive — one case worth understanding, meaningful updates to files you follow, and the best new coverage. You’ll also get the one-time note when the apps land. No gore, no rumor, no drip.