Police on Wednesday released new information about a deadly shooting that happened Tuesday in the parking lot of the El Paseo de Saratoga shopping center in West San Jose.
Citing a preliminary investigation, police said 43-year-old Edgard Altamirano of San Jose showed up at the shopping center where a woman he had dated in the past worked. Altamirano then shot the 24-year-old woman multiple times, killing her, before shooting and killing himself.
“Our current understanding is that the victim was already outside when the suspect pulled up next to where the victim was and then I think immediately confronted the victim by shooting the victim,” San Jose police Sgt. Jorge Garibay said. “I don’t know if there was an exchange of words or some other type of verbal altercation prior to. Our indication currently is that it happened quite rapidly.”
Altamirano and the woman were found on the ground in the shopping center parking lot, police said. They died at the scene.
A motive for the shooting remains under investigation.
“We’re hoping to talk more with family, with friends and maybe any bystanders or coworkers of that sort that may have more information that can shed light on how this happened, whether it could have been prevented,” Garibay said.
Police said the dating relationship between Altamirano and the woman ended several months ago.
“Right now our indication is we had no prior police contacts related to any kind of domestic violence or intimate partner violence or disturbances between these two individuals,” Garibay said.
Altamirano did not have any documented criminal history that police could find. The handgun used in the shooting was legally registered to Altamirano, police added.
The shooting is being investigated as San Jose’s fourth homicide of 2026, police said.
Anyone with information about the shooting is encouraged to contact San Jose police Detective Sgt. Martinez and/or Detective Jize by email at 3934@sanjoseca.gov and/or 4324@sanjoseca.gov or by calling 408-277-5283.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline by calling 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), visiting www.thehotline.org or texting LOVEIS to 22522.
Brendan Weber
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