Competitors leave the start line during the Synchrony Rock’n’Roll San Diego Marathon on June 3, 2018, in San Diego, California. AFP
LOS ANGELES, United States — A shooter opened fire in downtown San Diego and was taken into custody Sunday as thousands of people participated in the California city’s marathon, police said.
A woman fired shots in a parking structure near the finish line of the San Diego Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon, according to the local CBS and NBC television affiliates. A police officer was reportedly injured by an accidental, self-inflicted gunshot wound to the leg or foot.
Witnesses said they heard four or five shots, but there were no immediate reports of anyone else being hurt.
“There’s no longer a threat to the community. The scene is secure. The Rock and Roll Marathon has resumed,” the San Diego Police Department said in a tweet.
The marathon, which draws thousands of runners, was winding down at the time. After a brief halt, runners were allowed to complete the race.
Several streets were also closed briefly.
The incident began shortly before noon. Reports said a woman on an upper floor of a downtown parking garage, not far from City Hall, had slid under a parked car and was holding a gun to her head.
She was promptly taken into custody.
“The situation involving an active shooter who was engaged with law enforcement was not related to today’s race,” marathon organizers said in a statement.
“By 11:45 am, the course was shut down and approximately 4,900 athletes were rerouted into a designated safe zone.
“While the race was officially stopped, law enforcement gave the clearance at 11:56 am for runners to resume their progress toward the finish line and the post-race finish area, where they were able to meet up with family and friends.”
There was no immediate information on the shooter’s identity or possible motives, but the incident brought memories of the 2013 Boston Marathon, when two homemade bombs left by brothers Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev killed three people and injured many others.
The city’s baseball team, the San Diego Padres, said it had been in “close contact” with police following the incident.
“SDPD has confirmed that it is safe for us to proceed with today’s Little League parade, as well as our 3:10 pm game at Petco Park,” the team said on Twitter.
San Diego, a city of 1.4 million, lies on the Pacific Coast about 120 miles (190 kilometers) south of Los Angeles and on the border with Mexico. /cbb