TUSTIN (CNS) - Tustin police Saturday were investigating what prompted an off-duty sheriff's deputy to fatally shoot the deputy's roommate.
Police were called to a second-floor unit at the Axiom Tustin apartments in the 13000 block of Tustin East Drive early Friday, where they found 35-year-old Brittany Shaw with gunshot wounds, according to the Tustin Police Department and the Orange County Sheriff's Department.
Shaw was taken to Orange County Global Medical Center, where she was later pronounced dead.
OCSD spokeswoman Carrie Braun said Tustin police notified sheriff's officials about the shooting since it involved an off-duty deputy sheriff, whose gender and age were not released.
"The involved deputy has been placed on paid administrative leave," Braun said.
Orange County Supervisor Don Wagner said Shaw was an employee of the Orange County Health Care Agency, working in the county jail system.
Police did not release any further details and were exploring every possibility for what prompted the shooting, Tustin Police Department Lt. Sarah Fetterling said.
Wagner said it appears the deputy and the woman lived together and the deputy might have mistook Shaw for an intruder. He said Shaw was walking her dog around 5:30 a.m., then returned home prior to the fatal shooting.
"The deputy sheriff felt there was an intruder and ended up shooting Miss Shaw several times," he said.
Wagner added that he had no information to indicate it was anything other than a tragic accident.
Neighbors told reporters that they did not hear the sound of any gunshots, according to multiple media reports.
Health Care Agency Director Veronica Kelley sent a memo to staff Friday "with great sadness" to announce the death of Shaw, who worked for six years at the Intake Release Center.
Kelley said Shaw was the correctional health services chief.
"Her loss will be felt deeply by those who knew her throughout all levels of the HCA and the county family," Kelly wrote.
County officials were providing mental health services to staff.
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