El Cajon Police Officer Injured, Gunman Likely to Have Perished in House Fire

Authorities confirm that an El Cajon Police officer was injured in a shooting Sunday night at a home that was subsequently burnt to the ground, just south of Interstate 8 near El Cajon Valley High School.

It is still being determined whether the badly damaged body found in the charred remains of the home is that of the suspect.

The El Cajon Police Department received a call reporting “suspicious activity” just after 5 p.m. Sunday in the 1000 block of  Prince Street, police said. The caller said a man with a gun entered the house and started a fire.

Responding officers were fired upon, hitting one in the head, according to a police statement. The partners of the wounded officer pulled him to safety with the help of a neighbor.

As more help arrived from more than seven police agencies, the wounded officer was taken to hospital, where he underwent surgery and is in critical, but stable condition, according to police. His name wasn’t released.

The fire started by the gunman became a full blown house fire which was kept from spreading to nearby homes. The house fire was extinguished shortly before 7 p.m., with the assistance of water-dropping helicopters. No other structures were damaged.

A standoff ensued for much of the night, and authorities were unsure if the suspect was still inside the home.

A SWAT team surrounded the house for hours and entered to find body of an adult near the front door. Because of extensive damage it was unknown if the body was that of the gunman, police said. Police have received unconfirmed reports that two people were shot inside the home that haven’t been recovered.

Eastbound Interstate 8 at El Cajon was closed for about 90 minutes, but was reopened shortly after 7 p.m. McWay Court was also evacuated, and El Cajon Valley High School was shut down temporarily.

City News Service contributed to this report.