Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer, 30, was on duty when he was shot.
Investigators are trying to determine whether the suspect, Kevin Salazar, had an officially documented history of psychiatric problems and whether that would have or should have triggered red flags that might have stopped him from buying a gun.
The California Department of Justice — which handles gun background checks — told ABC News Tuesday that the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department is currently investigating “this individual’s involvement in the crime and the firearm in their possession” and had no additional comment.
Deputy Ryan Clinkunbroomer, 30, was on duty, in uniform and in his patrol car when he was shot while stopped at a red light outside the Palmdale Sheriff’s Station Saturday night. The motive remains unclear.