Fremont Police Department Anthony Joseph Solima
Anthony Joseph Solima is a Tesla employee who has been accused of killing a male coworker in the parking lot outside of the Tesla factory in Fremont, California. The victim was shot on December 13 just before 3:30 p.m., according to the Fremont Police Department.
Solima, 29, was arrested a few hours later in the nearby city of Milpitas, where police said he lives.
As of this writing, the victim’s name had not been released.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Solima & the Victim Argued at Work Earlier That Day, Detectives Said
Solima and the victim worked together at the Tesla factory, according to a press release from the Fremont Police Department. Police say the two men had argued that day but the nature of the disagreement was not clear. Solima “suddenly walked off the job” at some point following the argument, police said.
Emergency responders were called out to the Tesla factory, which is located at 45500 Fremont Boulevard, just before 3:30 p.m. Police said the initial call was simply for “medical aid.”
Firefighters found the male victim unconscious in the parking lot and “suspected that he was the victim of a violent crime.” They called in police officers, who “observed that the victim had sustained at least one gunshot wound.” The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.
2. Police Found Rifle Casings in the Parking Lot
The victim had just completed his shift at the Tesla factory, detectives learned. Investigators said the victim was shot in the parking lot.
They found several .223 rifle casings in the parking lot near where the victim fell, police said. According to the press release, detectives identified Solima as a suspect after a few hours on the scene.
Officers with the Fremont Police Department’s Gun Violence Reduction Team found Solima in Milpitas around 8:40 p.m. They watched him for a couple of hours “while homicide detectives conducted additional follow-up to solidify the investigation.”
Police obtained an arrest warrant for Solima at 11:16 p.m. Officers arrested him as he exited his vehicle shortly after that. Police said he surrendered “immediately.”
3. Solima Had a ‘Ghost Gun’ In His Vehicle That Matched the Casings Found at the Tesla Parking Lot
Fremont Police DepartmentPolice said a loaded, non-serialized, .223 caliber, short-barrel rifle was in Anthony Solima’s vehicle.
Police also obtained a search warrant to look through Solima’s vehicle, according to the press release. Inside his vehicle, Solima had a loaded, .233 caliber, short-barrel rifle along with an expended casing.
Police described the weapon as non-serialized, otherwise called a “ghost gun.” These types of guns can be made at home with “3-D-printed polymer parts,” as the Los Angeles Times explained. They’re called “ghost guns” because they don’t have serial numbers, and therefore cannot be tracked.
Self-made guns are legal to own in California. However, owners are required to get a serial number for the weapon, per the California penal code. According to an explainer from the California Attorney General’s Office:
Any person who possesses a self-manufactured or self-assembled firearm that does not bear a serial number must apply to the DOJ for a unique serial number by January 1, 2019.
Once you receive your unique serial number, it must be permanently placed on the firearm. According to DOJ regulations, firearms created through 3D printing using polymer plastic must bear their unique serial numbers on an embedded piece of stainless steel.
4. Solima Faces a First-Degree Murder Charge
Alameda CountyTesla employee Anthony Solima faces a murder charge.
Solima was booked into the Santa Rita Jail just after 4 a.m. on December 14. According to inmate records, he faces a first-degree murder charge.
Police identified Milpitas as Solima’s hometown, which is located in Santa Clara County. An online search of county court records brings up several traffic citations for an Anthony J. Solima.
There is also a criminal citation listed against an Anthony Joseph Solima that was filed in July 2015. The online record indicates there was a plea hearing in November 2015 but there is no information listed to suggest what the case was about.
5. More Than 10,000 People Work at the Tesla Factory in Fremont
Getty An aerial view of the Tesla Fremont Factory on May 13, 2020 in Fremont, California.
As of this writing, Tesla had not publicly commented on the shooting. Neither had CEO Elon Musk. Solima’s job at the factory was not immediately made public.
On its website, Tesla describes the Fremont factory as “one of the world’s most advanced automotive plants, with 5.3 million square feet of manufacturing and office space on 370 acres of land.” The company says more than 10,000 people work at the factory. CNBC reports the factory is “Tesla’s only U.S. vehicle assembly plant” currently.
The Mercury News spoke with other employees about the shooting but did not publish any names. One man told the newspaper that while arguments occasionally happen between colleagues, typically “everybody just kind of minds their business.”
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