A gun-toting homicide suspect was killed by police in a fiery shootout outside an In-N-Out Burger after a massive high-speed chase through southern California, authorities said. The sequence began with a fatal shooting in Carlsbad and escalated into a sprawling pursuit that crossed city lines before ending outside a Laguna Hills restaurant, law enforcement officials said.
The gunman, whose identity had not yet been released, allegedly hijacked the car of a woman he had just fatally shot in the parking lot of a Carlsbad apartment complex just before 10 p.m. Friday, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. After the deadly shooting, investigators circulated the victim’s license plate to neighboring departments. At 12:18 a.m., police in Laguna Beach spotted the stolen Kia Sorrento entering the city, authorities said. The multi-agency chase continued as officers linked the car to the suspect and traced it through several jurisdictions, culminating in the shootout outside the In-N-Out in Laguna Hills around 1 a.m.
What began as a routine pursuit soon intensified as the suspect refused to stop for Newport Beach officers about 30 minutes after the Laguna Hills confrontation, triggering a prolonged, multi-agency chase. The suspect eventually barreled into a business complex in Laguna Hills that houses the burger chain, jumped from the car and opened fire on approaching police vehicles with a black semiautomatic handgun, authorities said. Harrowing footage obtained by KTLA captured the chaos as dozens of terrified patrons bolted for cover and dove under tables as gunfire erupted.
The gunman was shot and treated at the scene and then transported to a local hospital, where he later died, police said. No officers were injured in the exchange. Investigators are encouraging witnesses with photos or videos to come forward as the investigation continues. Anonymous tips can be sent to Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855-TIP-OCCS.
The investigation remained active as authorities reviewed surveillance footage, tracked vehicles through multiple jurisdictions and worked to determine a motive in the initial Carlsbad homicide. Police urged anyone with information to come forward and said updates would be released as they become available.
