Man shot by sheriff officers at Del Mar listed 'stable'
DEL MAR, Calif. – The person shot by a San Diego County Sheriff’s Department officer at Del Mar on Sunday after allegedly firing a gun near a crowd of people outside the admission gates was reported in stable condition and “is expected to survive,” the department said in a release Monday morning.
The person was identified Monday as Daniel Elizarraras, 22, of Escondido, a city in northern San Diego County that is approximately 18 miles northeast of Del Mar.
Elizarraras was shot just outside the track’s Stretch Run admission gates Sunday at approximately 6:40 p.m. Pacific time, as the final race was ending. The shooting caused widespread panic as nearby people, including fans and personnel from TVG, scrambled to safety.
According to a Sunday press release from the sheriff’s department, Elizarraras “came to the ticket window” at the track and “wanted a ticket to this evening’s concert,” which was following the races and featured Ice Cube.
“He was told no more tickets were available,” the release states. “An argument ensued and nearby deputies responded. The man pulled out a silver-plated semi-automatic handgun and fired several shots into a crowded area. Deputies engaged and returned fire.”
He was transported to Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla.
“To our knowledge, no one else was injured,” the release said.
Video on Twitter of TVG’s programming at the time has host Todd Schrupp saying, “shots fired” as a popping sound can be heard in the background as the horses galloped-out following the final race. Another video posted on Twitter later showed a person being shot by a San Diego County Sheriff’s officer just outside the Stretch Run admission gate. Four shots can be heard. An additional video showed officers trying to resuscitate someone just outside those admission gates.
The officer who fired the shots was wearing a sheriff’s uniform.
“This was one of the most frightening experiences I have ever witnessed,” TVG’s Simon Bray posted to Twitter. “It occurred about 300 yards from us during our live broadcast.”
Bray was on-air with Schrupp when the shots rang out. The TVG set is close to the Stretch Run admission gates. It is inside the admission gates and to the east of where the shooting took place.
A large crowd was at the track Sunday, both for the racing and the post-race Ice Cube concert. The crowd was so large that prior to the shooting Del Mar had announced late Sunday that the concert was sold out and that roads into the track would be closed.
After the incident was contained, Del Mar announced the concert would go on. It started shortly before 8:30 p.m. and ended shortly before 9:30.
“If we don’t hold it, we’re worried there would be a riot,” said Mac McBride, the track’s director of publicity.
Like most tracks, Del Mar does not require patrons to go through a metal detector to enter the track grounds. The only time Del Mar has had metal detectors was for last year’s Breeders’ Cup.
Within minutes of the incident, dozens of squad cars rolled onto the track grounds, and a police helicopter hovered overhead. Del Mar has its own track security, but the city is policed by the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department. It was the sheriff’s department that responded, along with other local and regional officers, including the California Highway Patrol.
There are sheriff’s personnel at the track daily, and more on days when there are concerts.
“As is our special-events protocol, substantial law enforcement and private security was on site in anticipation of the event,” Del Mar said in a statement put out late Sunday night.
“In light of the circumstances that unfolded involving one individual with a gun, we take consolation in the fact that no patrons, officers or security personnel were injured in the incident.
“We also are thankful for the work and training our personnel have done with the Sheriff’s Department regarding possible active shooter incidents,” the statement read.
Del Mar’s closing day was Monday, and racing was scheduled to go on as planned.