HAYWARD, Calif. -- A father on an ice cream buying trip to the corner market with his daughter and the family dogs was fatally shot by a man who became enraged when one of the pets sniffed him, authorities said Wednesday.

A Hayward police spokesman said the incident took place at about 10:06 p.m. Tuesday when authorities got a 911 call reporting a shooting.

Arriving officers discovered 38-year-old Thomas Cunningham of Hayward lying unconscious outside the store, an apparent victim of a shooting.

Investigators said that Cunningham and his 13-year-old daughter had walked their two dogs to the neighborhood liquor store to buy ice cream. Cunningham went into the liquor store to purchase the ice cream while the daughter waited outside with the dogs.

When Cunningham returned to his daughter with the ice cream, police said, they began walking home. As they passed the suspect, one of the dogs approached the suspect and sniffed at him.

Police said the suspect asked the victim and his daughter to pull the dog away, and the girl did so. But then the suspect and victim began exchanging words and the suspect became angry.

Investigators said the unidentified suspect pulled out a handgun and shot the victim at least once. The victim’s daughter, meanwhile, run into the market screaming for help.

The victim was transported to Eden Hospital via ambulance, where he was pronounced dead.

Police said the suspect fled on foot southbound Vermont Street toward Hill Avenue. Witnesses described him as a black male adult in his early 20’s with a very slight build. He was wearing a dark brown or black hooded sweatshirt with a white logo on the rim of the hood and possibly an orange design on the front and very baggy blue jeans.

Hayward Police investigators believe that there are additional witnesses who saw this tragic crime and urge any potential witnesses to contact them as soon as possible. Anybody with information about this incident should call Inspector Rob Lampkin or Inspector Fraser Ritchie at 510-293-7034 or Hayward PD dispatch at 510-293-7000.