Officers shot gunman in San Luis Obispo 13 times

July 1, 2021

The mentally ill man who shot and killed a San Luis Obispo police detective and wounded another officer suffered 14 gunshot wounds during the deadly shootout. [Tribune]

On May 10, six officers attempted to serve a search warrant at Edward Giron’s San Luis Obispo apartment. When Giron did not respond to police, officers broke down the door of the apartment and found him lying in wait.

A shootout ensued, during which Giron shot and killed Detective Luca Benedetti. Detective Steve Orozco was shot multiple times but survived.

Following the fatal shootout, forensic pathologist Duc Van Duong, of Private Autopsy Inc., conducted an autopsy on behalf of Giron’s family. In the autopsy report, Duong wrote Giron was shot 14 times, including an apparently self-inflicted fatal gunshot wound to the head.

Giron was shot 10 times from the front and four times from behind. The San Luis Obispo man was shot once in the left temple, six times in the torso, three times in the buttocks and four times in his extremities, according to Duong’s autopsy report.

The gunshot wound to Giron’s left temple caused severe brain damage, while other bullets caused severe damage to Giron’s internal organs, like his liver and lungs. Giron died quickly.

Duong did not receive any records from San Luis Obispo County about the shooting and needs more information in order do draw any conclusions, he said.

In Giron’s formal death certificate issued by SLO County, Sheriff’s Deputy Coroner Ronald Slaughter stated Giron’s fatal injury occurred when he shot himself in the head with a rifle. Other contributing factors leading to Gironn’s death were multiple gunshot wounds and pellet injuries to the trunk and extremities, according to the death certificate.

Giron’s mother previously said his father had given him three pheasant hunting rifles, which she believed her son had in his possession at the time of the shootout.

An autopsy report for Benedetti’s death has not been released.