Alleged gunman in Corona movie theater shooting charged with murder, attempted murder

Gunman arrested in 'Forever Purge' movie theater shooting charged with murder, attempted murder

Charges were announced Friday against the man suspected in the Corona movie theater shooting. Rylee Goodrich, 18, was killed and 19-year-old Anthony Barajas remains on life support.

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, Calif. - The man suspected of shooting two teenagers inside a movie theater in Corona earlier this week was charged with murder and attempted murder Friday, the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office announced. One of the victims, who would have been a college sophomore in the fall, lost her life and the second victim remains on life support.

According to officials, the preliminary investigation reveals the two may have been robbed before the shooting. However, a robbery charge was not included in the DA office's filing.

The victims and the suspect were three of the six people who were inside the cinema during a showing of "The Forever Purge," during the attack, according to the Corona Police Department. The horror film centers around lawless murders, however, authorities do not believe the violence in the film was related to the shootings.

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Authorities identified the suspect as 20-year-old Joseph Jimenez and he faces the following charges:

• Murder with a sentencing enhancement of personal use of a firearm causing death
• Attempted murder with a sentencing enhancement of personally inflicting great bodily injury
• A sentencing enhancement of a firearm causing great bodily injury

The DA’s office also said they filed a special circumstance allegation of lying in wait. Jimenez is scheduled to be arraigned Friday at 1:30 p.m.

MOVIE THEATER SHOOTING

On Monday around 11:45 a.m., Corona PD received a 911 call for service from the Regal Edwards Theater at the Crossings Shopping Center. Once at the theater, arriving officers discovered two victims suffering from gunshot wounds inside the cinema near their seats.

Cpl. Kouroubacalis with Corona PD said detectives are unable to use surveillance footage for the investigation because no cameras were recording inside the theater at the time of the shooting.

Officials said 18-year-old Rylee Goodrich was pronounced dead at the scene while 19-year-old Anthony Barajas was rushed to a local trauma center.

THE ARREST OF JOSEPH JIMENEZ

Corona PD detectives issued a search warrant at a home in the El Cerrito neighborhood located near the 15 Freeway and East Ontario Avenue around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday. Investigators were led to the suspect’s home after interviewing witnesses and an anonymous tip.

The Riverside County Gang Impact Team (GIT) was part of the search team, however, the suspect is not a registered gang member, Cpl. Tobias Kouroubacalis said.

While at the home, authorities discovered a handgun and other evidence that connected to the shooting. Cpl. Kouroubacalis said during a press conference Wednesday that the shell casings found at the theater matched the caliber of the weapon.

Jimenez, 20, was subsequently arrested and taken into custody Tuesday night.

He was booked into the Riverside Presley Detention Center on charges of murder, robbery with a gun and attempted murder. He is being held on a $2,000,000 bail.

WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT THE VICTIMS

Rylee Goodrich was going into her sophomore year at Grand Canyon University on a full scholarship to study marketing.

She was a graduate of Corona High School "but she wanted to go into criminal justice and had been working with me this summer in my Private Investigator job," her grieving dad Dave Goodrich said.

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In an interview with FOX 11, her father questioned why there were no metal detectors at the theater. He said the two were on their first date and that Barajas was "a boy her dad actually approved of.

Anthony Barajas, known as @itsanthonymichael on social media, has a large following, including nearly 930,000 followers on TikTok.

While the suspect and the victims are close in age, Corona PD investigators do not believe the victims and the suspect knew one another prior to the shooting. Officials also do not believe Barajas' social media fame played a role in the attack.

GoFundMe pages have been created for Barajas and Goodrich:

Anyone with information is asked to contact Corona PD. Those who wish to remain anonymous can call 951-817-5837.

The investigation is ongoing.

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