A 17-year-old accused of killing a pregnant mother of four and injuring six other people at a California Halloween store faces two murder charges as prosecutors seek to move his case to adult court. Fairfield police arrested Monte Smith on Nov. 2 in connection with the Oct. 30 shooting at Solano Town Center.
Constance Hages, 31, died at the scene inside Spirit Halloween, according to police, who confirmed she was pregnant. Her aunt, Clanisha Morton, organized a GoFundMe to help pay for funeral expenses and support Hages’ four children. Morton described the loss as leaving a profound absence for those who loved her.
Investigators said the shooting began around 8:30 p.m. after Smith entered the store and saw a customer they believe he was targeting. Police allege he drew a gun and fired repeatedly, hitting that person and six others. Authorities have neither named the suspected intended target nor explained what prompted the attack.
Police said Smith left within minutes as officers reached the store. While emergency personnel cared for the victims, a school resource officer reviewing store surveillance footage recognized Smith as a former student and notified detectives. Investigators identified him within hours of the first 911 call and eventually located him at a residence in neighboring Suisun City.
Smith had previously been arrested over a 2025 shooting in a local high school parking lot after school hours, according to Fairfield police. The department said he was sentenced and subsequently released. Authorities have not named the school or disclosed his release date. The new court filing also alleges a previous violent offense conviction described as a strike, but prosecutors did not identify the offense underlying that allegation.
The Solano County District Attorney’s Office cited the seriousness of the new charges, Smith’s criminal record and public safety concerns in explaining its effort to keep him detained. Alongside the two murder counts, prosecutors filed three attempted murder counts, three counts of assault with a semiautomatic weapon, multiple gun enhancements and a multiple-murder special circumstance allegation.
Smith’s arraignment and detention hearing was scheduled for Nov. 4 at 9 a.m. A judge must approve the prosecution’s request to try him as an adult. Police initially withheld his identity because he is a minor, but the district attorney’s office named him when announcing the charges.
In a Saturday update, police said a 16-year-old boy and men ages 19 and 32 were in critical condition. A 23-year-old man was described as critical but stable. Two other men, ages 19 and 43, had received treatment for gunshot wounds and been released. The subsequent arrest announcement included no new information about their conditions.
The FBI confirmed to Fox News Digital that its Evidence Response Team assisted Fairfield police with processing part of the crime scene. Police said the investigation remained active despite the arrest and asked anyone with information to call 707-428-7600 or email [email protected].
