Joe Varoz should have been enjoying another afternoon with friends, family and the life he was building. Instead, on a Tuesday afternoon at Oak Tree Gun Club in Newhall, he died from a self‑inflicted gunshot wound on the club’s pistol range. The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner later confirmed the identity of the victim as 23‑year‑old Joe Varoz of Norwalk.
The incident happened around 3 p.m. in the 23100 block of Coltrane Avenue. Deputies and paramedics responded to reports of gunfire at the popular shooting range. When they arrived, they found Varoz down on the pistol range. He was pronounced dead at the scene, leaving friends, family and members of the local shooting community stunned.
Authorities quickly determined there was no ongoing threat to the public. No other people were wounded, and investigators treated the case as an apparent suicide. Officials said they had not released any further details about what preceded the shooting.
Varoz was an alumnus of Minot State University in North Dakota, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance with a concentration in Economics. He also played on the Minot State football team as an offensive lineman, a role that had earned him respect and camaraderie among teammates.
In the days since his death, loved ones described Joe as funny, caring and real in every way. A GoFundMe campaign organized by friends to support his family had raised funds to assist with funeral and memorial expenses, reflecting the outpouring of support from those whose lives he had touched.
For many who knew him, Joe’s passion for life and his easy sense of humor made him someone people gravitated toward. His passing has left a painful void in both the Norwalk community and those who shared experiences with him on and off the field.
As the community continues to process his death, law enforcement and family ask for privacy and support. The full circumstances that led to the tragedy remain under review by authorities, with no additional information released at this time.
