Early Thursday afternoon, a routine shopping trip turned into a harrowing incident when a Ford truck owner discovered his vehicle was missing from the parking lot of South Park Mall. The incident culminated in a deadly shootout between the truck owner and the suspected thieves, leaving one person dead and another critically injured.

According to officials from the San Antonio Police Department (SAPD), the truck owner, whose identity has not been disclosed, realized that his Ford truck had been stolen. Responding quickly, he used a tracking app on his phone to locate his stolen vehicle, which led him to another part of South Park Mall.

As the owner approached his stolen truck, he noticed that two people were inside: a man occupying the driver's seat and a woman in the passenger's seat. Determined to reclaim his truck, the vehicle owner confronted the thieves and held them at gunpoint while waiting for police to arrive.

Unexpectedly, the situation took a dark turn when the suspected thief in the driver's seat produced a handgun and opened fire on the vehicle owner, as stated by investigators. San Antonio Police Chief William McManus commented on the incident, saying, "The suspect behind the wheel produced a handgun and shot the owner of the vehicle who was holding him at gunpoint."

In the face of imminent danger, the truck owner responded by firing back at the suspect, resulting in the fatality of the man still inside the stolen vehicle. The female passenger was also caught in the crossfire and was critically injured during the exchange of gunfire.

"The owner of the vehicle then returned fire, killing the suspect who was still in the vehicle," Chief McManus stated.

Emergency services promptly arrived at the scene and transported the injured woman to a nearby hospital for immediate medical attention. Her current condition remains undisclosed.

As the investigation into the incident continues, SAPD Chief William McManus expressed uncertainty regarding potential charges. "It's unknown at this point if any charges will be filed," he said.