Sheriff’s investigators say the violence at a Downey apartment property appears to have involved family members and stemmed from a domestic dispute.
DOWNEY, Calif. — Three people died Saturday after a shooting at a residential property in Downey ended with police fatally shooting an armed man, authorities said. Investigators believe the first two deaths and the confrontation with officers were part of an isolated domestic violence-related incident involving members of the same family.
Downey police officers responded to reports of gunfire shortly before 8 a.m. Aug. 8 in the 11800 block of Downey Avenue, near De Palma Street. Officers found an adult man and an adult woman suffering from gunshot wounds, according to authorities. Both later died. A third man, whom investigators described as the suspected shooter, remained on the property as police worked to contain the scene.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, which is investigating the fatal police shooting, said the armed man eventually approached officers. Downey police then opened fire, striking him. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities had not said by Sunday how many officers fired or released the names of the officers involved.
No Downey police officers or other members of the public were injured during the confrontation, authorities said. The sheriff’s department said there was no known continuing threat to the community after the shooting. Investigators described the incident as apparently connected to domestic violence but had not released details about what happened before the initial gunfire.
The three people who died had not been publicly identified as of Sunday morning. Authorities said they were believed to be members of the same family, but their exact relationships had not been disclosed. Investigators also had not publicly established a motive or explained what led to the suspected domestic dispute.
Police surrounded the six-unit residential complex while the armed man was still believed to be on the property. Video recorded at the scene showed officers using a loudspeaker and directing a man to come outside with his hands raised. Gunfire could later be heard as officers confronted the man.
Neighbor Mario Quintero told ABC7 that he heard a woman screaming around the time of the gunfire. Other residents said the violence startled people awake and disrupted a normally close-knit neighborhood. Downey Avenue was closed during the investigation, limiting access for some residents while detectives and other personnel worked at the property.
The sheriff’s Homicide Bureau is handling the investigation into the police shooting. Detectives are also examining the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the man and woman found before the confrontation with officers. Authorities had not announced additional findings by Sunday, and the identities of all three people remained unreleased.
Author note: Last updated August 9, 2026.