Suspect in Gas Station Killing in Shootout With SDPD

The suspect in a City Heights gun battle with SDPD is the man wanted in a Clairemont gas station killing earlier in the week

San Diego Police shot and injured a man early Saturday who they say was responsible for a killing a gas station customer earlier this week.

The shooting took place around 2:50 a.m. at an apartment complex near Winonna and Ontario avenues. The location is south of University Avenue and east of Euclid Avenue in San Diego's City Heights community.

According to SDPD Lt. Paul Rorrison, both uniformed and undercover police officers had been patrolling the area surrounding the complex since Friday night, conducting surveillance on a possible suspect from an earlier case involving a murder at a Clairemont gas station.

Rorrison said police received a call just before 1 a.m. from a resident who said there was a suspicious prowler in the area, possibly armed with a gun, who appeared to be casing the building and allegedly attempting to break into apartments.

Officers began searching the apartment complex.

At one point, they tried to enter a community-use room near a barbecue and playground area. The suspect was holed up inside that room and, from the door, he fired multiple rounds at the officers, Rorrison confirmed.

Police returned fire, striking the suspect. He was taken to nearby Mercy Hospital with what officials described as non-life threatening injuries.

The suspect, identified by police as 30-year-old Ahmed Hassan Mumin, is believed to be the man wanted in the fatal shooting at a Clairemont AM/PM on Thursday.

β€œWe believe this is the suspect from our robbery and murder investigation that we’ve been on continuously for the past 48 hours,” said Rorrison.

No officers were injured in Saturday's shootout, but Rorrison said it was a very close call for the two officers involved.

β€œThey were extremely lucky that they were not killed. The rounds that came out of the door there narrowly missed both of them. Fortunately, they moved off to the side got some cover and returned fire immediately,” he explained.

The two officers involved in the shootout have been with the San Diego Police Department for 25 years and 12 years, respectively, the SDPD said.

The victim in the gas station robbery was identified Friday as Eric Schade, 48. Police say Schade was a regular customer of the AM/PM store on the corner of Balboa and Mount Abernathy avenues.

On Thursday, police say Schade was talking with the clerk when a robbery suspect came in and demanded cash. The clerk handed over money and then got on the floor as directed by the robber.

When the robber ordered Schade to get on the ground for a second time, Schade apparently refused. That’s when the robber shot Schade once in the chest.

San Diego Police had been on the lookout for the man seen in surveillance images from the robbery scene.

Rorrison said Mumin will booked into jail after he is released from the hospital. He will be charged with murder, armed robbery and attempted murder of two police officers.

Rorrison said Mumin has a criminal history, but the lieutenant could not immediately release further details.

Investigators do not know if he lived at the apartment complex in City Heights, but believe he has friends or family there and is known to frequent the area. A resident said the suspect has family that lives there. An employee at the apartment office said the suspect does not live at the complex.

Rorrison said police would remain at the scene all day Saturday collecting evidence. He advised drivers and pedestrians to avoid the area unless they live there.

Investigators were gathered around one specific apartment unit near a playground at the complex. Bullet holes could be seen there, along with other evidence being examined by police.

Mahad Nur lives at the City Heights apartment complex and said the shootout really shook up residents. He told NBC 7 the complex is usually a safe, quite place.

"Real scary what happened last night, said Nur. "We want to live peaceful in this place."

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