Police late Tuesday afternoon re-opened streets in La Jolla after an apparently suicidal man surrendered following a standoff just west of Mt. Soledad.
Several schools, including La Jolla Elementary, La Jolla High and Muirlands Middle School, went into precautionary lockdown in response. Residents in the neighborhood also were told to stay in their homes by San Diego police on social media as of 2 p.m.
The standoff between a special tactics team, San Diego police and a man armed with a pistol in a blue hatchback in the 2000 block of Via Casa Alta continued until late afternoon. Just before 4:25 p.m., police shared the all clear on social media.
“Via Casa Alta is open,” officials reported. “Police resources are starting to clear the area.”
The man, who apparently was distraught over a breakup with a girlfriend, repeatedly refused patrol officers’ orders to drop the gun and exit the hatchback, leading to SWAT being called in. At about 4:15 p.m., the man gave up the gun and surrendered without further incident, police said.
The schools directed staffers and students to remain secured inside their classrooms and offices as the standoff continued, said San Diego Unified School District spokesman Mike Murad.
City News Service contributed to this report.
Updated 5:50 p.m. April 22, 2025
