SAN DIEGO (KGTV) -- A father who was shot over the weekend in City Heights while trying to shield his daughter from gunfire died Wednesday morning.
The shooting happened just after 9 a.m. Sunday in the 3800 block of Marlborough Avenue, where police responded to a report of a disturbance involving a man armed with a handgun.
When officers arrived, they found an adult Hispanic male, later identified as 22-year-old Juan Fernando, in the middle of the street. He was pointing a gun at a woman, later identified as his ex-wife.
According to police, officers repeatedly ordered Fernando to lay on the ground, but he refused and continued pointing the gun at the woman.
An officer, fearing for his life and the woman's safety, fired one round at the suspect, knocking him to the ground, police said. Fernando was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police say the suspect had shot four people -- all immediate family members -- before officers arrived. All four were transported to local hospitals. One died at the hospital on Sunday and another -- 45-year-old Julian Gonzalez -- died Wednesday morning. Gonzalez was the husband of Reyna Gonzalez, who died on Sunday.
"For me, he was the best son in the whole world," said Guadalupe Gonzalez, the victim’s mother. The family says Julian and his wife, Reyna Cecilia Gonzalez, were shot while trying to shield their daughter from gunfire, when her ex-husband showed up with a gun.
The couple’s other daughter, Cecilia Gonzalez, 25, told 10News, “They gave their life for my sister… they got here at the right time.”
Family members told 10News they are heartsick, but do not hold a grudge against the gunman. They said he was a "good guy, until now."
The remaining two victims, one of whom is Fernandez' ex-wife, are expected to survive. Police say they are not releasing their identities.
The officer involved in the shooting has been identified as Officer Ross Bainbridge, a 12-year veteran of the San Diego Police Department.
Anyone with further information about the shooting is asked to call the Homicide Unit at (619) 531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.
