Sunday evening, 46-year-old Peter Selis opened fire at a pool party which left one dead and six injured, allegedly due to being “distraught and depressed” over a recent breakup. According to the San Diego police, Selis called his girlfriend during the shooting so that she could hear the carnage he created.
This was a truly horrific and disturbing act. We pray for the victims and thank our 1st responders. Our city rejects this senseless violence
— Kevin Faulconer (@Kevin_Faulconer) May 1, 2017
“[Selis] entered the pool area and laid on a lounge chair, called his ex-girlfriend and told his ex-girlfriend that he had just shot two people,” San Diego Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman revealed during a press conference on Monday. “[He] talked to his girlfriend as he continued to fire [his] weapon.”
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The Police Chief added, “It is apparent that Selis wanted his girlfriend to listen in as he carried out his rampage.”
The identities of the victims have not been released, but police confirmed that six were black and one was latino. However, Zimmerman concluded that the shooting wasn’t racially motivated, but was a response to Selis and his girlfriend breaking up.
Police arrived at the scene at the La Jolla Crossroads apartment complex, causing Selis to shoot at the officers. During the shootout, Selis was fatally injured by the police. A video has surfaced that shows the police’s arrival, as well as a portion of the shootout.
A witness to the mayhem spoke to PEOPLE about the severity of the incident and its impact on him.
“It feels surreal,” Drew Phillips revealed. “I had just given her a hug maybe six minutes before the gunshots started.”
Phillips claimed he had only been at the party for 20 minutes before the shooting occurred and hadn’t noticed Selis until he began firing.
“At first I thought it was firecrackers and then I realized it was gunfire,” the Phillips explained. “When I looked, I saw a guy actually shooting into the crowd.”
He added, “That’s when I jumped the fence. I saw a kid who had been hit and I picked him up and I carried him to safety.”
Phillips claims that the man who was celebrating his birthday was injured in the event, but this has not been confirmed by authorities.
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[H/T PEOPLE]
