San Diego police fatally shoot armed suspect near elementary school

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) -- San Diego Police officers shot and killed a man armed with a gun and a knife near an elementary school in City Heights early Tuesday, a police spokesperson said.

The shooting happened shortly before 7 a.m. in the 5100 block of Orange Avenue, near Fay Elementary School, police said.

A staff member at the school reported seeing a man standing in front of the auditorium door by the alley, prompting staff to call police and place the campus on lockdown, according to a statement from the principal.

Lt. Travis Easter said officers found the man armed with a knife and a gun nearby. Officers tried to de-escalate the confrontation by using less-lethal force, including a beanbag gun and a police dog, but the man did not comply, Easter said. Officers then opened fire.

Witnesses reported hearing about 10 gunshots. Officers attempted CPR, but the man died at the scene.

The California Department of Justice is leading the investigation, which is standard protocol in officer-involved shootings. Police recovered both a gun and a knife at the scene.

No officers were injured, police said. Orange Avenue remained closed for several hours as investigators collected evidence.

Some residents said the violence was unsettling but not surprising.

“It’s not really the safest neighborhood to grow up in,” said City Heights resident Joanna Malacara. “There’s always just things going on — gang violence, you know.”