Active shooter call in San Luis Obispo County ends with deputies killing suspect

San Luis Obispo County sheriff's deputies shot and killed a man Friday afternoon after reports of an active shooter at a gas station near Nipomo, authorities said.

The Sheriff's Department received reports about a gunman at a Vons grocery and gas station parking lot just off Highway 101 about 11:15 a.m., according to the department's Twitter page.

Witnesses said a man was firing indiscriminately outside the shopping center, sheriff's spokesman Tony Cipolla said.

The man went into a gas station building in the parking lot when deputies arrived, Cipolla said.

He fired a few rounds inside the building before emerging and then began shooting at law enforcement personnel, Cipolla said. Two deputies and an officer from the California Highway Patrol returned fire, killing him.

"Sheriff’s Deputies and CHP engaged the active shooter and the suspect is deceased. There is no known threat to public safety at this time," the department tweeted.

It was not immediately known how many rounds the man fired. His identity was being withheld, pending notification of family.

“It’s quite the miracle but, at this time, we do not have any reports of anyone being injured,” Cipolla said.

Authorities think the man acted alone.

“We have no idea at this point what his motivation might have been,” Cipolla said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

For the record:
3:29 PM, Aug. 21, 2020: An earlier version of this article said the shooting took place Wednesday. The shooting occurred Friday.