NBC 7’s Lauren Coronado has the latest from investigators at the scene.
A shooting in the Clairemont neighborhood prompted the evacuation of a preschool and a response from San Diego police's SWAT team Thursday afternoon, the San Diego Police Department said.
Multiple witnesses called 911 at about 2 p.m. to report hearing gunshots near the intersection of Clairemont Mesa Boulevard and Clairemont Drive. After searching the area, police found a shooting victim about a mile away, SDPD Lt. Shawn Takeuchi said. Apparently, the man had walked from the shooting site.
Witnesses told police they saw two other men with the shooting victim, prompting a manhunt for the suspects, Takeuchi said. Because there was a preschool nearby -- Northminter Preschool -- San Diego's tactical team was called in to assist in the search.
"We knew that there were kids on that property at the school," Takeuchi said. "So, because of the concern of the kids, because of a possible another suspect in the area, we brought another team to the area, which was our SWAT team."
Takeuchi said about a dozen children from the preschool were evacuated and taken to nearby Clairemont Lutheran Church, where they would be reunited with their parents. Children could be seen being escorted by SWAT officers across the major intersection. All kids were safe, Takeuchi reassured parents.
The shooting victim was transported to a nearby hospital, where he was underwent surgery for his wounds, police said. No further information was available about his condition.
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One suspect was located shortly after SDPD arrived on scene. The man had a firearm, Takeuchi said. He was detained and was being questioned "to determine his involvement."
The second suspect was not located and by evening, police were no longer actively searching for one.
Law enforcement response to the incident was overwhelming -- dozens of police cars were parked up and down the street nearly, all the way to nearby Kleefeld Avenue, as well as in the parking lot of the Northminster Presbyterian Church, where the preschool was located. SWAT arrived just after 3 p.m.
Officers installed police tape in the area, including at the front of the church, across Clairemont Mesa Boulevard and at a nearby O'Reilly Auto Parts store.
At about 4:45 p.m., most, if not all, officers not affiliated with SWAT were being released from the scene, officials told NBC 7.
