Police are investigating whether a wounded man found about 20 minutes after the early-morning burglary was the person who entered the veteran’s home.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA — A 73-year-old Vietnam War veteran shot a suspected intruder after confronting a man inside his San Francisco home early Saturday, according to the homeowner and local reports, while police cautioned that they have not yet confirmed whether a wounded man found several miles away was connected to the burglary.
San Francisco police said officers responded at about 5:08 a.m. to the 1200 block of 22nd Avenue after receiving a report of a burglary that had just occurred. Officers met with the resident, who authorities said had fired a gun during the incident. The suspected burglar had left before officers arrived and was not immediately found. About 20 minutes later, police responded to a separate shooting report on the 400 block of 47th Avenue, where they found a wounded person. Police said Saturday that the two incidents remained under investigation and that they had not confirmed a connection between them.
The homeowner, who withheld his name because of safety concerns, told CBS News Bay Area that he was sleeping on the third floor when unusual noises from downstairs woke him shortly after 5 a.m. He said he took a handgun with him as he went downstairs to investigate. The veteran said he encountered a man on the second floor who was dressed in black and wearing a hoodie and face covering. The man also had a large dog with him, the homeowner said.
The veteran told the station that the man grabbed him during the encounter and that he fell to his hands and knees. He said he fired one shot because he felt physically threatened. The homeowner reported suffering minor scrapes to his hands and knees during the confrontation. He said he believed his shot struck the other man before the man fled the house. Police have not publicly confirmed all details of the homeowner’s account.
Surveillance footage obtained by CBS News Bay Area showed a person walking back and forth along 22nd Avenue near Lincoln Way roughly 40 minutes before the reported break-in. The homeowner said someone had cut or drilled through part of a wooden first-floor door to gain access to the house. Video from a neighbor also captured a dog that was apparently left behind after the person fled. The homeowner said he believed Animal Care and Control later took custody of the animal.
At about 5:28 a.m., officers were called to the 400 block of 47th Avenue for a report of a shooting, according to San Francisco police. They found a person suffering from what authorities described as an apparent gunshot wound. The wounded person was taken to a hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening. A CBS News Bay Area report said the injured man was detained near Geary Boulevard and 47th Avenue and taken to San Francisco General Hospital.
Police emphasized that investigators had not established that the wounded person found on 47th Avenue was the same person involved in the burglary on 22nd Avenue. That distinction remains central to the investigation. Although the homeowner described shooting the person he encountered inside his residence, authorities had not publicly established the identity of that person or confirmed that the later shooting call involved the same individual.
The incident occurred in San Francisco’s Sunset District, a largely residential area west of the city center and south of Golden Gate Park. CBS News Bay Area reported that police statistics showed overall burglaries in San Francisco were down 22% compared with the same period a year earlier. A neighbor told the station that crime in the Sunset was unusual but not unheard of.
The veteran said he remained shaken by the confrontation but was grateful that he was not seriously injured. Police said the burglary and shooting investigation remained active. Authorities had not announced charges as of the latest reports, and police said any potential arrest depended in part on determining whether the wounded man was connected to the burglary.
Author note: Last updated Sept. 28, 2026.