Los Angeles (CNN) -- A man who allegedly shot his ex-wife and seven other people to death in the deadliest shooting in Orange County, California, history pleaded not guilty Tuesday, prosecutors said.





An Orange County Superior Court judge scheduled an April 24, 2012, preliminary hearing for Scott Evans Dekraai, 41. Dekraai is charged with eight counts of first-degree murder and a felony count of attempted murder in the October 12 shooting at the Salon Meritage hair salon in the small coastal community of Seal Beach, a district attorney's spokeswoman said.





The first-degree murder charges carry the special circumstance of multiple murder. The attempted murder count is for a ninth victim who was wounded.





Prosecutors said they will seek the death penalty. Dekraai is being held without bond.





Dekraai and his ex-wife, Michelle Fournier, 48, were battling over custody of their 8-year-old son, and the dispute was the motive in the shooting, Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas said in October. The prosecutor called Dekraai "a methodical and merciless killer."





On the morning of the shooting, Dekraai and Fournier got into an argument about child custody, authorities said.





"We're sort of guessing. We believe that the custody battle wasn't going well for him. We don't know the contents of their conversation or anything," Rackauckas said.





Hours later, the gunfire rampage at the salon, just blocks from the ocean, unfolded, authorities said.





"He also considered the people who were friends and who worked with his ex-wife were enablers, and he didn't have much use for them either," Rackauckas said.





The gunman was armed with three weapons -- a 9 mm Springfield, a Smith & Wesson .44 Magnum, and a Heckler & Koch .45 -- and was wearing body armor during the shooting rampage, Rackauckas said. He used at least two of those guns, the prosecutor said.





Rackauckas summarized the mass shooting, saying Dekraai "walked through the salon shooting anyone close enough to hit. He stopped to reload during this spree, and he continued gunning people down. He was not satisfied with murdering his intended target, his ex-wife. For almost two minutes, Dekraai shot victim after victim, executing people by shooting them in the head and chest.





"He shot eight people inside the salon. But he was not done. He then walked out of the salon and shot a ninth victim, a male who was sitting nearby in a parked Range Rover. The reason for this rampage: revenge," he said.





"We believe that the defendant committed this unimaginable act of violence because he wanted to kill his ex-wife over a custody dispute concerning their 8-year-old son. He was willing to end any life in his path, and he did. Clearly this two-minute murder spree could not have been about loving his son," the prosecutor said.





While Dekraai allegedly carried out the mass murder, his son was sitting alone in the principal's office at school, waiting for his mother or father to pick him up, authorities said.





"That little boy is also a victim. He is now left to mourn the murder of his mother and grow up with the knowledge that his father (allegedly) committed a mass murder," Rackauckas said. "What sick, twisted fatherly love is this?"





In addition to Fournier, of Los Alamitos, the people killed were salon employee Victoria Ann Buzzo, 54, of Laguna Beach; David Caouette, 64, of Seal Beach, who was in the vehicle outside the salon; salon employee Laura Lee Elody, 46, of Huntington Beach; salon owner Randy Lee Fannin, 62, of Murrieta; salon client Michele Daschbach Fast, 47, of Seal Beach; salon client Lucia Bernice Kondas, 65, of Huntington Beach; and salon employee Christy Lynn Wilson, 47, of Lakewood, authorities said.





Dekraai allegedly shot Caouette, who was in the parked vehicle, in the head through a closed front passenger side window, authorities said.





The
Who is seeking the death penalty? What was Dekraai's ruling? Who's murder Dekraai was charged with? What age is Dekraai? Who wants to seek the death penalty? How many people did Dekraai kill? Who is charged with killing his ex-wife and 7 others? On how many counts of first-degree murder Dekraai is charged?
Prosecutors eight counts of first-degree murder his ex-wife and seven other people 41. Prosecutors his ex-wife and seven other Scott Evans Dekraai, eight
question: Who is seeking the death penalty?, answer: Prosecutors | question: What was Dekraai's ruling?, answer: eight counts of first-degree murder | question: Who's murder Dekraai was charged with?, answer: his ex-wife and seven other people | question: What age is Dekraai?, answer: 41. | question: Who wants to seek the death penalty?, answer: Prosecutors | question: How many people did Dekraai kill?, answer: his ex-wife and seven other | question: Who is charged with killing his ex-wife and 7 others?, answer: Scott Evans Dekraai, | question: On how many counts of first-degree murder Dekraai is charged?, answer: eight