Mass shootings in the United States have been on the rise since last year’s fatal Orlando shooting. Cases of strangers shooting into crowds or targeting specific groups have been many over the years, and this year is no different. That was the case on Sunday in San Diego when a man shot multiple victims in La Jolla Crossroads Apartment Complex, located off Interstate 805.
There was a birthday party going on when the shooter walked up to the complex at approximately 6 p.m. local time, several witnesses say. The shooter, who was identified by state officials as 49-year-old Peter Selis, was said to have met up with one man from the party. One witness, who identified himself as only John to a CBS affiliate, commented that the first man appeared to have been trying to convince Selis to join in on the party. “Instead, he [Selis] took out a gun and shot the other man in the stomach,” John added.
Everything went downhill from the moment Selis shot the first man. A second witness stated that the first shot provoked a lot of chaos among the occupants of the compound. The witness name is Lauren Seed. Seed confirmed that after the first shot, Selis continued shooting five or six more times first. “We had six or seven shots, so we all started hiding wherever we were,” Seed said, “There was some silence before we heard another six or seven shots.” People on balconies tried ducking for cover while others ran around screaming. Another witness who spoke on condition of anonymity remarked that some people were able to flee because Selis had to reload his gun before doing the next round of shootings.
Things calmed down about ten minutes after the first shot was fired. John, who said his wife was a nurse, tried helping some of the victims who were bleeding and injured on the ground. He stated that some crawled to their neighbors for help. After the shooting in which he injured eight people, Selis was described by witnesses as being calm. “He just sat down and started drinking beer looking so relaxed,” remarked John.
Meanwhile, the police had been contacted about possible shots fired in the area. According to witnesses, two police officers showed up at the scene. Selis aimed at them with his gun, so they shot him. This scenario was augmented by San Diego Police Department Chief Shelky Zimmerman. She said that the officers had been provoked into shooting. Victims were driven to the nearby Scripps La Jolla and Mercy Hospitals before paramedics arrived. “One woman died from her injuries, and some of the other victims are in critical conditions,” Zimmerman confirmed in a Press conference held on Sunday.
The SDPD have not yet established a motive for the mass shooting. It is not clear whether all the victims were attendees of the birthday party or residents of the complex, officials added. The San Diego shooting incident comes days after the end of President Trump’s 100 days.
