© SLOPDCalifornia detective shot and killed while serving search warrant
A police detective in San Luis Obispo, Calif., was shot and killed on Monday while serving a search warrant, according to police officials.
Luca Benedetti, a 12-year law enforcement employee, was shot on Monday while serving a search warrant at an apartment in the California city, according to a Tuesday statement.
Benedetti was one of six officers serving a search warrant for "possibly stolen properties" related to several recent burglaries.
The officers identified themselves before forcing open the door of the apartment, according to the Tuesday statement. The alleged gunman, Edward Zamora Giron, fired at the officers from inside the apartment, and officers returned fire before retreating.
Benedetti was struck during the exchange of gunfire, alongside another police detective, Steve Orozco.
Orozco was hospitalized on Monday and released hours later. Police said they expect him to fully recover from his injuries.
"Our community is heartbroken," San Luis Obispo Mayor Heidi Harmon said in the Tuesday statement. "Detective Benedetti loved this City and bravely gave his life so that we could live in peace and safety. Luca's children have lost their father so we could be safe. We will hold Detective Benedetti and his family in our hearts forever."
Benedetti is survived by his wife and two children.
The suspected shooter, Giron, was later found dead by police with a "self-inflicted, fatal gunshot wound and other injuries consistent with being struck by the officers return fire."
Police did not immediately state if there were other witnesses to the shooting.
The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office and District Attorney's Office will be conducting an investigation into the violent incident.