Authorities in Orange County have been involved in an hours-long standoff with an armed man in the parking lot of a strip mall.

Calls about the incident, located in the 1900 block of 17th Street, came into the Santa Ana Police Department just after 4 p.m.  

Aerial footage from Sky5 showed the suspect, armed with a handgun, in the parking lot pacing back and forth, shouting at authorities who were barricaded behind their vehicles with guns drawn. A white pickup truck with an open driver’s side door could be seen just behind police lines. It is unclear if the vehicle belongs to the suspect, but police were seen searching the vehicle at one point. 

  • An armed suspect seen pacing in the parking lot outside a Hobby Lobby who has refused to surrender to police on Aug. 29, 2023. (KTLA)
  • Standoff in Orange County
    An armed suspect seen pacing in the parking lot outside a Hobby Lobby who has refused to surrender to police on Aug. 29, 2023. (KTLA)
  • Santa Ana standoff
    Police on the scene of a standoff with an armed suspect outside of a Hobby Lobby store in Santa Ana on Aug. 29, 2023. (KTLA)
  • Standoff Orange County
    Crowds of people seen watching as an hours-long standoff between police and an armed suspect unfolds on Aug. 29, 2023. (KTLA)

All the stores in the strip mall were evacuated. East and westbound lanes of traffic on 17th Street from Mabury Street to Tustin Avenue are currently closed. In a post to X, formerly known as Twitter, police urged everyone to avoid the area.   

SWAT and crisis negotiators are on scene, according to Santa Ana police. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department is also at the location. 

“At the moment, he has not fired or pointed the weapon at anyone,” Santa Ana Police Officer Natalie Garcia said of the suspect. “We are utilizing all the equipment we have to to have the suspect safely surrender.”

Sky5’s Gil Leyvas reports that a robot was deployed that brought the suspect water and a cellphone.

As the standoff entered is it’s sixth hour, crowds of people gathered nearby to watch the events unfold, KTLA’s Samantha Cortese reports.

This is a developing story. Please check back for details.