Another three people had injuries from glass or debris.
The first report of the shootings came in at about 6:30 am (1130 GMT) Police Chief Martha Montalvo said at a news conference.
The suspect began firing at officers when they arrived.
Numerous weapons were found at the scene, a bomb-squad robot examined a Porsche that was believed to belong to the shooter and bomb squad officers were also scouring the suspect's residence, Montalvo said.
Lee Williams left his home in the neighborhood upon hearing gunshots and began directing traffic away from the condo complex, noting that people usually cut through the area to avoid some busier intersections.
One car ignored him, he said, and was immediately shot at.
Williams couldn't see the gunman because it was dark, but believed he saw the muzzle flashes.
Jennifer Molleda and her husband live in the same condo complex as the shooter.
Though she heard gunshots about 6:12 am (1112 GMT) and called 911, her husband left for work.
The 45-year-old called him not long after, and he told her "I'm hit, I'm hit."
After the shooting stopped at 7:15 am (1215 GMT), Molleda found her husband, 49-year-old Alan Wakim, several blocks away in the parking lot of a nearby strip mall.
His Mustang had two shots that went through the windshield, and he told her that he saw a red laser beam before the shots were fired. He was taken to a hospital to be treated, AP reported.
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