Authorities said the investigation began late Wednesday and ended with two deaths in a residential neighborhood.
CHINO HILLS, CA — Two people died after San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputies shot a driver and found another person inside the trunk of a car during a late-night investigation in Chino Hills, authorities and local news reports said.
The incident unfolded Wednesday night on Wandering Ridge Drive and remained under investigation Thursday. Authorities had not released the names of either person or explained what led deputies to open fire as of Thursday morning.
Video recorded by a nearby home appeared to show a passenger leaving the car before the driver got out and walked toward the trunk. The driver opened the trunk shortly before deputies fired, according to footage reviewed by ABC7. The Sheriff’s Department had not publicly provided a detailed account of the shooting or said whether deputies believed the driver was armed.
The driver was struck by deputies’ gunfire and died, FOX 11 reported. A second person was found dead inside the trunk of the sedan. Officials had not disclosed how that person died, how long the body had been in the vehicle or whether the two deaths were directly connected.
The car was described as a Nissan Altima with Oregon license plates. Aerial footage showed the vehicle stopped in the neighborhood as investigators placed evidence markers around the scene. A covered body could be seen on the ground near the car.
FOX 11 reported that the encounter followed an incident in which a nearby homeowner was confronted by two armed people, leading to a pursuit. Authorities had not released a full chronology confirming how that reported confrontation was connected to the car or the two people who died.
No deputies were injured. The Sheriff’s Department said there were no outstanding suspects and no continuing threat to the public, according to ABC7. Residents were told to expect a continued law enforcement presence while detectives processed the scene.
Investigators had not released the identities, ages or hometowns of the dead. Officials also had not announced whether a weapon was recovered, whether anyone fired at deputies or whether another person was detained after leaving the vehicle.
The Sheriff’s Department is expected to investigate both the death discovered in the trunk and the deputies’ use of deadly force. Additional information, including autopsy findings and body-camera evidence, had not been released as the investigation continued Thursday.
Author note: Last updated July 30, 2026.