Suspected shooter arrested in Santa Maria after weekend standoff

SANTA MARIA, Calif. - Santa Maria police arrested a suspected shooter early Sunday morning after a multi-hour standoff.

It began around 11 p.m. Saturday night when officers received a 911 call saying a man was threatening another man with a gun at a home on the 500 block of W. Taft.

When police arrived at the scene, they heard a gunshot fire in their direction. Officers said they then saw a person with a gun running away from the scene.

As more officers arrived to the area, more gunshots were heard.

Crews quickly evacuated nearby homes and secured the area while calling for additional resources to help search for the shooter including a Santa Barbara County Sheriff's air support helicopter.

Officers said they received information indicating the shooter was still armed and in the area.

An emergency alert was then sent out around midnight warning residents to shelter in place.

A Santa Maria Police SWAT team was activated to search for the shooter along with K9 officers.

After a lengthy search, police said the suspected shooter was located in a home on the 500 block of W. Polk Street where he had barricaded himself.

The SMPD Crisis Negotiation Team spoke with the man and, after several hours of negotiations, he surrendered and was arrested around 7:45 a.m. Sunday. The shelter in place alert was then lifted.

Officers investigated the incident and discovered that the gunman, identified as a 20-year-old Santa Maria resident, had shot the man he had been threatening at least two times. The victim's injuries were determined to be non-life-threatening. He was treated at the scene and released to a local hospital.

Two guns were located during the investigation.

The suspected gunman will be booked into the Santa Barbara County Jail until the initial investigation is completed.

Santa Maria police would like to remind the community when receiving an emergency alert to only call 911 in case of an emergency.