The suspect in a murder that occurred in Point Loma at Catalina and Voltaire has been arrested in downtown San Diego.
Thomas Burke was busted by police near F Street and 16th Avenue – which is very close to SDPD headquarters. This came down near 8 am Thursday morning.
The incident began around 11 pm Wednesday night when the murder victim – unidentified at this point – walked up to one of the apartments in the newly constructed Famousa complex at the corner of Voltaire and Catalina and was allegedly shot by Burke, who was reportedly inside the apartment.
First responders administered CPR to the victim but were unsuccessful.
A SWAT action ensued through Wednesday night and into Thursday morning, with police not certain whether Burke was holed up or not in the apartment, but believed he might be barricaded inside. Neighbors were evacuated as a precaution.
Following the deadly shooting, Police said Burke was believed to have barricaded himself inside the apartment. As a precaution, neighbors were evacuated from the nine-unit complex.
NBC7 reported :
Police said Burke and the victim of the shooting know one another. The shooting was prompted by some sort of confrontation between the men, though further details were not immediately released.
Now, for another twist on the story, mainstream media – once again – have mislabeled the area where the shooting occurred, and as usual, called it “Ocean Beach” – when in fact that area is part of Point Loma.
This happens with such regularity especially by the various TV crews and reporters – that it must be intentional. The press understand that any story identified as within “Ocean Beach” gets more eyeballs, and is more sexy. This has been going on for literally decades. And it’s up to OB and PL residents and local media like the OB Rag to call the mainstream media out on this.
THE SHOOTING DID NOT OCCUR IN OCEAN BEACH. IT OCCURRED IN POINT LOMA.
The official boundary of OB is along the middle of Froude Street on the eastern edge. Catalina and Voltaire are within the Peninsula Community Planning Area.
{ 25 comments… read them below or add one }
Thank you Frank for getting it right when you said “Point Loma.” This is not Ocean Beach yet every other news organization had “Ocean Beach” in the story titles. This is not OB!
On top of that, there is a great big Welcome to Point Loma sign at the foot of the ramp from Nimitz to Catalina Blvd. Maybe it needs to be bigger for the reporters.
Thank you so much for going to the extent of stating it was in fact in POINT LOMA, not ob. It’s like te media like giving ob a bad rep or something. Thank you :) I was talking to my bf about this this morning .
Much love to the poor victim and to his family :(((((
This same thing happened a few months ago about transients setting fires in Ocean Beach but the fire was on the east side of Nimitz. I contacted Channel 10 about it and they did not give a shit. Everyone needs to call them on this every time.
I have often pointed this out to both local media as well as to realtors advertising units in the Sea Colony complex and have been informed that “it is in the 92107 zip code, therefore it is OB”. I think that is where the confusion comes in, still if reporting on local news, reporters should learn local boundaries. While it is not my wont to defend the mass media I note that KUSI, that bastion of yellow journalism/”unvetted” supposedly public service guests, they did get it right this time with “Pt Loma”.
This is Loma Portal, not Point Loma. Look at any map. And this elitist attitude from OBecians in the comments section and the article makes me so glad I no longer live in OB. We SHOULD take ownership, as San Diegans, and vow to do better, be better, help more. No matter your neighborhood. And if you don’t believe the zip code makes the neighborhood, half of you (at least) better remove that 9210B sticker from your vehicles.
Elitist attitude? Trying to defend OB against the public image, including the media, that OB is the only place rife with crime? Making the media accountable for being accurate? Not elitist, Cassandra, pride of community. If this happened in downtown OB but they said Loma Portal, I bet that would hit a nerve. And the zip code does not define OB, look at a zip code map, it includes areas clearly way outside OB. Most people define OB by the planning board boundaries that shows it ends at Froude and Voltaire. The rest of Point Loma is in the Peninsula Community Planning Board boundaries. Loma Portal is a neighborhood just like mine is Point Loma Heights and I live two blocks from Catalina and Voltaire.
Not to quibble, but you think most people define OB by the planning board boundaries? I’d guess the vast majority of OBceans have no idea where those boundaries lie.
I fully agree Bearded. MOst folks have no idea there are planning boards much less know the boundaries.
I would also say that the majority of OBceans would not consider Catalina and Voltaire as part of OB.
Do it really matter where it happened? ??!! We lost a good person a great family memeber.. always smiling and making us laugh. I love u cousin!!! Enjoy the waves..
It matters to some of us that the media get it right. That doesn’t mean any of us are unsympathetic to someone’s loss.
Correct, the area is far away from O.B. Frank Gormlie and I have seen all of the governmental documents defining communities and community plan areas. But, in fairness, there exists a map (I remember it at the old O.B. Recycling Center were Mika’s garden was and Plant Power is) which demarks O.B. all the way to Midway and I seem to recall it having been put out by realtors.
You should be ashamed of your selfs. I came up with The victum and the last thing he was worried about was area/zip codes (fact is: scum is scum no matter where it shows up, and this time it came in the shape of a privileged coward punk that killed my brother and lived next to you). Our Family lost a happy go lucky brother last night and you should all take a minute to think about getting that call
Tragic story of a senseless murder in our community.
I can’t figure out why the comments and the closing part of the story are so much about OWNERSHIP of this murder. Guess what guys: A murder in your neighborhood is not a good thing, it’s a bad thing.
Point Loma, Ocean Beach, Loma Portal, Point Loma Heights… does it really matter where exactly in our community the murder happened? How insensitive to the family of the victim! Very sad!
92107 = OB. Someone was murdered and all you care about is if it happened on one side of the street or the other?
Amen, brother. Can it get any more self-serving than THAT? Especially from folks who wouldn’t know the official “lines” between Logan Heights & Sherman Heights, or Hillcrest & Bankers Hill. Just stop, people, if you can’t mourn respectfully.
South OB Girl would like some numbers… How many atrocities like this in San Diego total, also how many like this from Little Italy to PB…
I think it goes without saying that the entire city is in shock and feels sadness and mourning.
Thank you, South OB Girl, you speak for many of us.
It makes me so sad to see all the attention placed on whether it’s OB or Point Loma. A young, innocent man died, who gives a sh_t where it was. This is the problem with our society. All empathy lost, such narcissism …
They probably are saying OB because of the zip code, 92107, which is serviced by the OB PO. I live off off Voltaire St in Sea Colony. I know it’s PL, but my mailing zip code is OB, 92107. I’m assuming the Coffee Bean side of Catalina is possibly with the 92107 zip too calling it OB. Just a thought about “the confusion” with the news peeps. I always say I’m from OB/PL area because it’s very confusing. I’ve not heard Froude St being the dividing line between OB/PL before, but been told Venice St is along with a handful other streets being demarcation lines. My business by the PL library next to My Lady Faire, walking distance from Sea Colony, has a mailing zip code of 92106, serviced by the PL PO, so maybe Poinsettia is the dividing line? Anyway not sure anyone really knows, other the zip codes tell us where we get our mail from – which PO (PL or OB) – which unfortunately it IDs the location whether its “right” or not…news peeps are just getting the word out.
I’ll send healing prayers to the people involved. A sad day in the neighborhood, again, in that corner. That corner must still have bad vibes from when the store was there and its shooting before it went out of business and was torn down…
I was privileged to have known the victim…you are all being very insensitive… who the F$CK cares where it happened…Point Loma…Ocean Beach…where ever…you all lost a fantastic young man…always happy…very caring and loving…. you will truly be missed…wish we had more time with you…
God help all of you that comment about location and not the sadness of losing this wonderful man that God has given all of us. We just miss you ! we love you! we know you’re in gods arms now!!! What a wonderful, special,beautiful man we have lost, our heart hurt beyond repair!
I find it curious that 92107 boundary responses far outnumber the “Vacation Rentals” comments?
Loss of life is the issue: not OB boundaries!