Woman shoots herself at Horton Plaza mall during police chase

A woman who was running from police through Horton Plaza shopping mall shot herself in front of officers and scores of shoppers Tuesday and later died.

Officers started CPR on her while waiting for paramedics. Medics then took her to a trauma center where she succumbed to her injuries.

A motorcycle officer tried to pull over a driver near Fourth Avenue and Broadway in the Gaslamp Quarter about 11:30 a.m., San Diego police Lt. Scott Wahl said.

He said the vehicle seemed to fit the description of one reported to police in connection with a suicidal woman.

The driver kept going and went into the mall parking garage, then stopped. Wahl said one of two females in the car got out and walked into the mall. Officers questioned the other female and a male who had stayed in the car. Wahl was not sure which person was driving.

At some point police learned that the woman who walked into the mall likely had a handgun.

Seven or eight officers converged on the location to look for her, police said.

She ran through the mall for about 15 minutes, including upstairs toward Panda Inn restaurant, then went down at least one floor near The Gap. One officer was describing her location and abruptly announced over his radio that the woman had just shot herself.

A clerk at Closet, a clothing store directly across from The Gap, said she had a view of the whole incident.

She said she saw two plainclothes officers in suits running after a woman. The woman reached The Gap, sat down, aimed a gun toward her own head, and pulled the trigger.

The clerk, who declined to give her name, said she and others were distraught over the suicide, and that crisis counselors were being called in.

“All that blood … it was really intense,” said the clerk. “I’m shocked and sad. I have a lot of mixed emotions. Why did she do it?”

The sight also rattled Jared Goodrich, who said he was browsing for Black Friday deals on his lunch break.

He was walking past The Gap clothing store when some officers ran by. He said he turned to look at them, and saw one officer with a drawn gun. Then he heard a loud “pop” and a woman fell to the pavement.

“I’m still shaken up,” said Goodrich, 21. “I never thought I’d see something like that.”

A number of shoppers said they believed the officer had shot the woman.

Police evacuated shoppers from the mall and cordoned off some areas while they investigated.