SAN DIEGO – A man suspected of shooting another man to death late Wednesday night in Ocean Beach was arrested in downtown San Diego Thursday morning following a lengthy standoff.
The arrest came after San Diego police SWAT teams surrounded a townhome complex in Ocean Beach for several hours, unsure if the suspect, 32-year-old Thomas Francis Burke, was holed up inside.
Burke eventually surrendered to authorities at 16th and F streets at around 7:40 a.m., San Diego police confirmed. He was booked into the San Diego Central Jail on one count of murder.
The situation began when officers responded to reports of a shooting in the 4100 block of Voltaire Street at 11:09 p.m. Wednesday. Officers found a 35-year-old man unconscious on a sidewalk with a gunshot wound to his chest. He died at the scene.
Responding officers learned the suspect may have barricaded himself inside the nearby Famosa Townhomes, a condominium complex in the area. SWAT units responded and the townhomes and nearby stores were evacuated. The complex is located in a busy intersection with several businesses, including a Coffee Bean, a 7-Eleven and a few bars. Some people were told to shelter in place.
A little before 4:30 a.m. police threw a flash bang into the complex to see if Burke was inside. However, just before 8 a.m., police confirmed that Burke had been taken into custody downtown.
One man described the Ocean Beach scene to 10News just following the shooting.
"We saw a female across the street, and she seemed to be pretty concerned about her friend that was laying on the ground. Cops and paramedics surrounded the guy and it looks like they were trying to resuscitate him," the witness said.
The circumstances that prompted the shooting were not confirmed. The victim's name was not immediately released.
Police said the suspect and victim knew each other, but no other details were given.
