A white gunman was shot dead by police after opening fire on black party-goers, killing a woman and injuring seven more people at a swimming pool of a luxury San Diego apartment complex on Sunday night.

Local police arrived to the scene around 6:10pm local time, near the La Jolla Crossroads Apartments at Judicial Drive and Sydney Court in San Diego, California.

Police said there was no further threat after the suspect, later identified as Peter Selis, 49, was shot dead and eight victims were taken to local hospitals, with several in critical condition.

Selis is a service technician at a Ford dealership, and filed for bankruptcy in 2015. He is a father of two and also has a step-son.

Seven people were shot and the eighth victim broke his arm as he was fleeing from the chaotic scene at the apartment pool, which is less than four miles from the University of California, San Diego, and near the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar.

One of the victims shot, an unidentified African-American woman, has died from her injuries.

Selis, a white male, was seen by a police helicopter reloading the weapon near the pool area, as witnesses claim he was holding a beer in one hand and the gun in the other.

Scroll down for video

Pictured: This is Peter Selis, the 49-year-old father-of-two who opened fire at a pool party in San Diego Sunday evening

Selis shot seven in the shooting, before three officers responded to the scene and shot him dead. He's pictured above sitting in a pool chair during the attack

Witnesses said that Selis had a beer in one hand and his gun in the other as he shot innocent partygoers on Sunday. Above, three officers respond to the scene and fire back at Selis

Selis was a service technician at a local Ford dealership and lived at the apartment complex. He was a father of two and also a stepfather to one

Police are still trying to determine the motive for the crime. Selis' body is seen above in the chair from which he carried out the shooting

Police have not ruled out a hate crime since all of Selis' victim were men and women of color. Above, the pool after the shooting

Seven people were shot and rushed to nearby hospitals. One of the female victims later died of her injuries

Four of the victims were African-American women, two were African-American men, and one was Hispanic. The man who injured his arm while fleeing was also African American.

All of the victims were attending a 50th birthday party hosted by a resident of the apartment at the complex pool.

'This is truly a horrific act of violence that took place here today,' San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer said at a news conference. 'Our entire city, all of our thoughts and prayers, all San Diegans' thoughts and prayers, are with the victims and their families tonight.'

A police helicopter arrived to the scene first and the pilot reported seeing multiple victims and that the suspect, Peter Selis, was still in the pool area and appeared to be reloading.

Three officers on the ground shot the suspect after he pointed a semi-automatic pistol at them, Zimmerman said.

Police believe that Selis lived in the complex but have not discovered a motive. They have not ruled out the shooting as a hate crime as the investigation continues.

Four of the victims were African-American women, two were African-American men, and one was Hispanic. The man who injured his arm while fleeing was also African American. Above, survivors embrace after the shooting

Witnesses say that the man who was celebrating his birthday party went up to Selis to offer him food and drink, and that he declined. Above, two survivors

Selis took out his gun, which was hidden under his shirt and then started shooting at partygoers from his pool chair. Above, survivors after the shooting

A witness told NBC San Diego that Selis took a seat by the pool during the party, and that the man who was celebrating his birthday walked up to offer him food and drink.

Selis declined, and the witness says he then lifted up his shirt and took out his gun and began shooting at the 30 or so partygoers until he was out of bullets.

The man who was celebrating his birthday was reportedly hit the worst, according to multiple witnesses.

Another witness who spoke to NBC reported seeing a smirk on Selis face as people fled the pool screaming.

San Diego police Chief Shelley Zimmerman (pictured) said eight people were taken to the hospital, seven were shot and one was injured fleeing the scene

Selis (left and right) worked as a car serviceman at a local Ford dealership. He was a father of two and stepfather of one

One witness told Fox 5: 'We looked at the pool area where the shooter was sitting there with a beer in one hand and a gun in the other.

'The suspect looked pretty relaxed, pretty relaxed.'

Drew Phillips, who was at the party, said as he was fleeing he saw a man who he met minutes earlier with a gunshot wound to his abdomen

'He was just laying there, and just the look in his eyes — sheer terror,' Phillips told the San Diego Union Tribune. 'I threw my phone down. I just picked him up and I just carried him. I basically ran as fast as I could with him in my arms.'

Amit Godbole and his wife were heading toward the pool when the shots began.

He said: 'It was like a war zone or something. There would be three or four shots, a pause and then more shots. I was trying to count them. I counted 30 or 40.'

Amberjot Riat, 22, and Kaela Wong, 20, said they were in the Jacuzzi when the man began unloading a firearm at the party group and were so terrified they stayed put.

They jumped over a wall after they claim they heard the shooter tell someone helping a victim: 'You can either leave or you can stay here and die.'

Rikky Galiendes, 27, heard gunshots around 6pm and went to look outside his sixth-story apartment when he spotted a man bleeding and running near the pool below.

A police helicopter saw the suspect reloading the gun and three officers approached the gunman before he pointed the weapon at them

The luxury apartment complex boasts of sustaining a Mediterranean feel and offers apartments that range in price from $1,700 to $4,000

Galiendes told The Associated Press that he called out to ask if the man needed help when his roommate grabbed him, yanked him down and then pointed toward a man sitting in a chair with a gun.

'When we looked over the balcony, he was just sitting down with a gun on his lap,' Galiendes said. 'He was calm, you know. I mean from my perspective, the guy was ready to do whatever he was going to do. He shot at people having a good time and having a party.'

Galiendes and his roommate ran back inside and called police. They stayed indoors until neighbors yelled that it was safe to come out. Galiendes said it was a horrifying scene.

'As soon as I heard the gunshots I had goosebumps and the whole thing was really emotionally draining - seeing blood everywhere, seeing bodies on the ground, hoping they survived, seeing bloody footsteps you know of people who ran away. There was just so much blood. It was so surreal.'

Galiendes, a full-time communications student at the University of California San Diego, said he has lived in the complex since September.

'It was chilling,' he said. 'La Jolla is known to be really safe and this is a family neighborhood.

The luxury apartment complex boasts of sustaining a Mediterranean feel and offers apartments that range in size from studios to three bedrooms.

Prices range from $1750 - $1950 for a studio and up to $4,000 for a castello with a mezzanine area.

Police continue to investigate the shooting. Above, officers outside of the apartment Sunday night

One witness said Selis had a smirk on his face as he was carrying out the rampage