Shooting At Redlands Office Depot: Suspect Targeted Estranged Girlfriend, Police Say

Updated at 11:31 p.m. March 23, 2016

REDLANDS, CA- A tense hostage situation following a domestic violence-related shooting at a Redlands Office Depot has ended with one suspect dead and two victims hospitalized Thursday, according to law enforcement officials.

Authorities say a female hostage, who was reportedly shot in the torso, was rescued and taken by helicopter to a nearby hospital. The suspect, identified as 29-year-old Andrew Mike of Downey, was fatally shot during an officer-involved shooting, according to officials with the Redlands Police Department.

The events began to unfold around 2:12 p.m., when Redlands police say they got a call that a man was firing a weapon in the office supply store parking lot, located at 602 N. Orange St.

Mike "...then entered the Office Depot store in search of his recently estranged girlfriend," Redlands Police Cmdr. Chris Catren said in a press release Thursday night. "A confrontation occurred inside the store and Mike again fired his weapon striking an uninvolved subject inside the store causing minor injury."

That person, who was reportedly hit in the finger, was taken to Loma Linda Medical Center and is expected to recover. As they were taken away, the hostage scene was just heating up.

"Mike then forced the female victim out of the store at gunpoint and began walking eastbound from the rear exit of the store," according to Catren. "As he and the victim were walking eastbound on High Avenue east of Sixth Street, officers confronted him."

It was in that area where the two— surrounded by police and crisis negotiators— would remain for approximately two hours, according to Catren. And despite authorities' efforts for a safe conclusion to the ordeal, the encounter would end in violence.

"At approximately 4:37 p.m., the suspect appeared to shoot the victim and an officer involved shooting occurred resulting in the death of the suspect," the commander said. "The female victim was immediately airlifted to a local hospital."

As of 10 p.m. Thursday, the woman was listed in critical condition, according to police.

During the incident, entrances to the strip mall were cordoned off and several blocks in the area of Pearl and Orange were blocked off, sources at the scene told Patch.

The Press Enterprise reported that Gregory Bauer of Corona, the father of the female hostage, said his daughter tried to end her relationship with the suspect earlier in the day. ABC7 reports the woman work at the Office Depot where the events began to unfold Thursday.

Bauer could not be reached for further comment.

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Patch editors AUTUMN JOHNSON and RENEE SCHIAVONE contributed to this report.