Man Wanted For Setting Off Fireworks At Target In Vista; Incident Was Feared To Be Active Shooter
VISTA (CBSLA) — A report of an active shooter at a Target in Vista turned out to be fireworks, and investigators need help finding the man who set them off.
An active shooter was reported Tuesday just before 9 p.m. at a Target in the 3100 block of Business Park Drive in the San Diego County city of Vista. The San Diego Sheriff's Department says several 911 calls reported what sounded like gunfire in the store.
The report of an active shooting drew a huge police response, including officers from Carlsbad, Oceanside, Escondido, San Diego, the CHP and deputies from other San Diego sheriff's stations.
The store was evacuated and searched, but no injured people or suspects were found. What was found, however, was a trash can that had been left overturned in an aisle, and several burned and exploded firecrackers around it.
The store's surveillance video showed a man entered the aisle where the trash can was found. Moments later, the video shows a large flash of light and the man runs out of the aisle.
The suspect was described as a light-skinned man wearing a black baseball cap with a white and blue logo, a black neck gaiter, a black sweater with a white undershirt, black pants and black shoes with white soles.
Authorities say that a similar incident happened at a Ross store in Temecula on Jan. 31, and investigators are working to determine if the Vista incident is related.
Anyone with information about the incident or recognizes the suspect can call the San Diego Sheriff's Department at (858) 565-5200.