**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DATELINE: SAN DIEGO, CA

HEADLINE: ONE DECEASED, MULTIPLE INJURIES IN EAST COUNTY SHOOTING; SUSPECT IN CUSTODY

LOCATION: El Cajon, San Diego County

TIMELINE: Incident occurred at approximately 3:15 PM local time on Monday, October 23, 2023.

EVENT: Authorities have confirmed a mass shooting incident at a commercial strip mall in the 1000 block of Broadway. Preliminary reports from the El Cajon Police Department indicate a male suspect opened fire in an outdoor parking area before entering a retail establishment.

PERSONS INVOLVED:

• Victim: One adult male was pronounced deceased at the scene. Three additional victims—two males and one female—were transported to a local trauma center with non-life-threatening injuries.
• Suspect: A 34-year-old male, whose identity is being withheld pending notification of next of kin, was taken into custody without incident approximately 200 yards from the scene. Law enforcement recovered a semi-automatic handgun at the time of the arrest.

WHY: The motive for the shooting remains under investigation. Initial witness statements suggest a dispute preceded the gunfire, though authorities have not ruled out gang affiliation or a random act of violence. The San Diego County Sheriff’s Homicide Unit has assumed investigative primacy.

SOURCE: Official press release from the El Cajon Police Department, confirmed by the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office. No further details will be released at this time pending the ongoing investigation.