Suspect with shotgun dies in S. San Francisco officer-involved shooting
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (KTVU) - South San Francisco police shot and killed a man who neighbors say was armed with a shotgun in the middle of a quiet cul-de-sac.
It happened on the 3700 block of Cork Place between Skyline Drive and Callan Boulevard just before midnight.
Police said a neighbor called 911 out of concern for a middle aged man named John, a resident on Cork Place, who appeared unstable and was carrying a rifle while standing in street.
Neighbors said they heard two rounds of gunshots once police arrived.
"It sounded like fireworks or something... but the second round of shots sounded big- like boom boom boom!" explained Everett Jones.
"They were yelling at somebody to 'Put your gun down! Put your weapon down and get down on the ground!
Get down to the ground!'" said neighbor Christina, who spoke to KTVU by phone.
South San Francicso police say the man refused to obey commands to drop his weapon. Officers fired several shots at the suspect who later died on the sidewalk.
"It is unknown how many officers fired at this time. There were several South San Francisco police officers that were on scene at the time the incident took place," said Sgt. Ken Chetcuti, SSFPD.
Christina, who did not want to use her surname, told KTVU that she woke up when she heard gunshots. "I quickly grabbed my baby, who's five months old, woke up my husband and ran into the bathroom terrified, scared," she said.
Christina's bedroom window is located at the back of the house, along with half a dozen other homes that line the sidewalk where the suspect was shot and killed. The backyard fences are now riddled with bullet holes.
"We had three bullets that hit our house," said Theresa, another neighbor. "Two bullets lodged in the fireplace and the third one hit in the second bedroom and made a big pop. I was lucky that I wasn't in the bedroom at the time."
San Mateo District Attorney investigators interviewed several witnesses and collected bullets and shell casings found inside people's homes, on the ground near the wall of backyard fences, and scattered throughout the street.
One officer suffered minor injuries not related to the shooting.
The suspect's name is John Eno. One neighbor who did not want to be identified said Eno was in his late fifties and had been a widower for the past two years. His late wife suffered from multiple sclerosis and had been bedridden for seven years. Eno cared for her and worked at a bank, paying a caretaker to watch his wife during the day.
Another neighbor told KTVU that Eno told her that he had been takign anti-depressants to cope with his wife's death and loneliness.
It's unclear if Eno fired his weapon.
The incident remains under investigation and anyone with information is asked to call South San Francisco police at (650) 877-8900. Anonymous information can be called to the TIP line at (650) 952-2244.