Overview
- Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office says deputies responded at 2:39 p.m. to reports of an assault with a deadly weapon inside the Ralph's on Hollister Avenue.
- Witnesses reported the confrontation began outside when a shopper with a dog struggled with another customer over a large kitchen knife before it moved into the store.
- Deputies attempted to apprehend an adult male suspect, an altercation followed, and the suspect was shot and died; another man was injured and treated.
- A California Department of Justice vehicle arrived and the investigation is now being handled at the state level, with the sequence of events still under review.
- Shoppers and employees evacuated as the area was cordoned off, nearby businesses stayed open, and counseling was planned for store workers.