A person was shot and killed Wednesday afternoon near San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf, and the suspected shooter turned himself in at a nearby police station a short time later, according to police. Now, police are trying to piece together what led to a deadly shooting in one of the city's most popular tourist areas.
Police said the shooting, which happened at about 1:10 p.m. on Columbus Avenue near North Point Street, was an isolated incident, adding that there was no threat to the public.
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WATCH HEREOfficers first responded to the area of Columbus Avenue and North Point Street to investigate a reported shooting, police said. As they were heading to the scene, they learned that a man had shot another man who was inside a vehicle before fleeing the scene.
Arriving officers searched for any victims, suspects, and witnesses, police said. They then learned that the suspect had turned himself in at the police department's Central Station and had been placed under arrest. Police said the charges against him are still pending, and they are not sharing his identity at this time.
COLUMBUS/NORTHPOINT INCIDENT: A statement has been released regarding the shooting incident in the city's Central District. During our preliminary investigation, the suspect turned himself in at the Central District police station.
— San Francisco Police (@SFPD) May 14, 2025
This is an isolated incident, and there is no… pic.twitter.com/yMSDKMERrR
Surveillance video provided by a nearby business appears to show how things unfolded at the time. At 1:11 p.m., an SUV can be seen stopped at the intersection of Columbus and North Point. Then, a person steps into the frame, holding what looks like an assault-style weapon, chasing after the SUV as it drives away. The person with the gun then runs in the opposite direction.
Officers found the victim about a block and a half away in the SUV parked in the area of Leavenworth and Beach streets, police said. He was sitting in the driver's seat, unresponsive and suffering from gunshot wounds. Emergency responders tried to save him, but he died at the scene. The SUV had at least one visible bullet hole.
NBC Bay Area asked SFPD about the relationship between the suspect and the victim, but a spokesperson said, "We have no further information to provide for this open and active investigation."
People nearby in the areas of Fisherman's Wharf and North Beach said they were shocked to hear about this shooting. Several tourists said they heard multiple gunshots. One employee at a nearby hotel said guests recalled hearing what sounded like "fireworks" at the time. Our crews on the scene at Columbus and North Point spotted several large-caliber casings on the street.
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SIGN UP "I saw the yellow tape here on this block, and I saw a little tent set up down on Beach Street, and I asked some of the officers what happened, and one of them said, “I think somebody died or got killed,'" said Cynthia Cristilli, a North Beach resident who was walking through the area at the time.
Salome Alfaro, who is visiting San Francisco from Connecticut, said it was jarring to see the investigation unfolding in the street.
"We were walking down towards the pier, and we just saw this area was sectioned off and there were a bunch of police cars," said Alfaro.
"I think it’s scary as tourists, because obviously we don’t know the area well, and we don’t know what areas are safe," she said, adding that she is still looking forward to seeing more of San Francisco during her travels.
Supervisor Danny Sauter, who represents the district where this happened, sent a statement to NBC Bay Area, expressing his gratitude for SFPD's "swift response and action."
"We must do more to rebuild trust and confidence in our public safety, especially in areas like Fisherman's Wharf that welcome visitors from around the world to San Francisco," Sauter said.
The incident is under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to call police at 415-575-4444 or text a tip to TIP411 and start the message with SFPD.
