A search for a homicide suspect ended with gunfire inside a Ventura County hospital on Thursday, drawing a heavy police presence but, officials said, leaving bystanders unharmed.
What happened
The shooting occurred around 12:20 p.m. at Los Robles Regional Medical Center in Thousand Oaks, ABC7 reported. Officers encountered a man who was wanted in connection with a homicide investigation and, authorities said, opened fire, wounding him inside the medical center. The man was taken into custody and the scene was secured.
The episode was connected to a domestic-violence investigation, NBC Los Angeles reported, citing authorities. Officials said there was no ongoing threat to the public.
The hospital
In a statement, Los Robles Regional Medical Center said all patients, staff and visitors were safe and that the facility continued to operate normally. No injuries were reported to hospital personnel, patients or responding officers.
An ongoing investigation
Authorities had not, as of Thursday evening, publicly identified the suspect or released details about his condition beyond confirming he was wounded and in custody. The precise sequence of events that led officers to fire remained under investigation. As with any police shooting in California, the case will be subject to review; state law requires independent investigation of shootings that kill or seriously injure a civilian.
The large response — multiple agencies, a perimeter and a visible presence around the hospital campus off the Ventura Freeway corridor — briefly snarled the area and alarmed a community that has seen its share of high-profile violence; Thousand Oaks was the site of the 2018 Borderline Bar shooting. Thursday's incident, by contrast, was contained quickly and without wider casualties. Officials asked the public to avoid the immediate area during the response and said more information would be released as the investigation proceeds.
