Watch Calif. Police Officer Stop Charging Suspect Swinging Shovel

A shovel-wielding man who charged at an Anaheim police officer by an elementary school was fatally shot when the officer opened fire, and the incident put the school in temporary lockdown.
Oct. 6, 2025
2 min read

What to know

  • An Anaheim police officer fatally shot a man who allegedly charged at the officer while swinging a shovel near John Marshall Elementary School on Sept. 15, prompting a brief lockdown.

  • The suspect, described as a man in his 30s, was struck by gunfire and died at a hospital about 30 minutes later.

  • The Orange County District Attorney’s Office is conducting an independent investigation into the shooting.

By Nathaniel Percy

Source The Orange County Register


An Anaheim police officer fatally shot a suspicious person holding a shovel near an elementary school Monday afternoon, Sept. 15, leading to a temporary lockdown, authorities said.

The suspect was taken to a hospital, where he died, Anaheim Police Sgt. Matt Sutter said. The lockdown at John Marshall Elementary School was lifted, allowing parents to pick up their children, the department said.

Anaheim officers were called to the area of Falmouth Avenue and Holly Street about 12:45 p.m. on a report of a suspicious person holding a brick, Sutter said.

The area where the shooting occurred is residential and sits just north of La Palma Avenue.

Officers later learned the man may have been holding a shovel.

The first arriving officer encountered the man and fired multiple rounds at him, Sutter said. It was unclear what occurred to prompt the officer to fire.

“The suspect was hit by gunfire, and he was immediately transported to the hospital,” Sutter said, adding that the suspect died about 30 minutes after arrival.

He was described as in his 30s. His condition was not disclosed.

Staff and students at the school were in class at the time of the shooting and “thankfully not exposed to any of the danger,” Sutter said.

The Orange County District Attorney’s Office was conducting an independent investigation into the shooting, Sutter said.

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