U.S. Secret Service snipers prepare for President Donald Trump's arrival at Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Florida on February 28, 2025. Trump is staying at his Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach.
San Diego, California – A tense SWAT standoff in a quiet San Diego neighborhood ended in deadly gunfire Tuesday, when two snipers fatally shot an armed man who had threatened workers and refused police commands.
Authorities say the 59-year-old suspect was first reported around noon near Angelique Street, pointing a handgun at construction workers. As police arrived, he was seen on a sidewalk holding what appeared to be a firearm. The situation escalated when he ignored multiple orders to drop his weapon and eventually aimed it in the direction of officers.
That’s when two SWAT snipers fired, hitting the suspect in the upper body. He died at the scene. No officers or bystanders were injured.
The suspect reportedly started his rampage by threatening a pest control worker, who barricaded himself in his truck to avoid harm. SWAT officers moved in to evacuate the worker safely, but the armed man remained defiant, holding what was later confirmed to be a semi-automatic pistol and a knife.
As tensions mounted, the suspect refused to comply with police commands. When he raised his firearm toward officers, two highly trained snipers—one with 17 years on the force, the other with 10—opened fire, bringing the standoff to a sudden and fatal end.
During a briefing on the incident, San Diego County Sheriff’s Lt. Patrick Fox unexpectedly passed out mid-sentence, adding an unusual twist to an already dramatic day. Media and law enforcement rushed to his aid before an ambulance arrived to check him out as a precaution. Fox later recovered, but the moment added to the surreal intensity of the day’s events.
The shooting marks the second high-profile violent incident in the Scripps Ranch area in the past decade. In 2015, sportscaster Kyle Kraska was shot multiple times in a dispute with an angry contractor. Now, another act of violence has shaken the otherwise quiet residential enclave.
The San Diego County Sheriff’s Office Homicide Unit has taken over the investigation, as is protocol for officer-involved shootings. Authorities are asking anyone with information to come forward, with Crime Stoppers offering an anonymous tip line.
As residents process what happened, the deadly encounter raises familiar debates about law enforcement tactics, gun violence, and mental health crises playing out in public spaces. For now, one man is dead, a neighborhood is rattled, and another high-stakes standoff has left its mark on the city.
