Suspect In Santa Monica Shooting Arrested, Wounded Officer Recovering

SANTA MONICA, CA — A police officer was injured in a shooting near Santa Monica Place Mall Wednesday, and the suspect — who is believed to be connected to an earlier shooting that wounded two youths in a Waymo vehicle — was arrested after a roughly three-hour search.

It was unclear if the suspect was injured, but police from Santa Monica, Los Angeles and El Segundo descended on the area to conduct a thorough search, including assistance from at least one search dog.

The shooting occurred before 1:20 p.m. at or near Santa Monica Place. Police initially described the situation as an "active incident" and later specified that "one of our officers sustained injuries during the incident."

The officer, who has not been publicly identified, was transported to a local hospital, according to police. The officer suffered non-life-threatening injuries, Mayor Lana Negrete said on social media.

The shooter managed to evade capture by police. Video from the scene shows police searching for the suspect near the city's Parking Structure 7 on the 350 block of Broadway in Santa Monica.

Police closed off streets in the surrounding area.

"The Santa Monica Police Department is actively managing an ongoing incident following a shooting. The suspect remains at large, and a coordinated search is underway. We ask members of the public to avoid the area near Santa Monica Place (4th St & Colorado) to allow emergency personnel to respond safely and efficiently," the department said in a statement at around 1:45 p.m.

An hour later, police said they had "cleared" Santa Monica Place and that the shooter remained at large.

Authorities released a photo and description of the man, who remained at large at that time.

✅ Santa Monica Place has been cleared.

🚨 The suspect remains at large.
📸 See photo below.

Description: Male, Black, Approximate age: 30s

Wearing a dark-colored jacket and black pants

If you recognize this individual or see someone matching this description, do not… pic.twitter.com/0DGFvZukRz
— Santa Monica Police (@SantaMonicaPD) June 25, 2025

Around 4:30 p.m., officers were seen taken a suspect into custody in Palisades Park near the California Incline. Police later confirmed that was the suspect wanted in connection with the shooting.

In an interview with KTLA, Negrete said the suspect involved in the shooting is believed to be the same person who opened fire at a driverless Waymo vehicle on Sunday night near Second Street and Broadway in Santa Monica, injuring two juveniles inside.

Santa Monica police Lt. Lewis Gilmour said that shooting was believed to have been the result of an earlier verbal altercation between the victims and the suspect.

Santa Monica Place is an outdoor shopping mall that serves as an end cap to the multi-block pedestrianized Third Street Promenade. It's just two blocks from the busy Santa Monica Pier.

The incident prompted Metro to truncate E Line rail service; trains Wednesday afternoon were turning back east at 17th St/SMC Station, with no service between 17th/SMC and Downtown Santa Monica, according to the agency.

City News Service contributed to this report.