A naked woman with a gun caused chaos on the San Francisco Bay Bridge as she opened fire on Tuesday, leaving commuters in a state of disbelief and fear, according to a report by NBC Bay Area.
New video footage obtained by NBC Bay Area captures the startling moments as the California Highway Patrol (CHP) responded to the alarming situation.
The incident began around 5 p.m. when the CHP received reports of a woman driving erratically on the Bay Bridge. Witnesses reported that she had exited her vehicle twice while in the middle of traffic, once brandishing a knife. Her unsettling behavior continued as she proceeded toward Oakland.
Upon reaching the toll plaza, the situation escalated dramatically. The woman emerged from her vehicle once again, this time completely naked and armed with a pistol. She began shooting in the air and at passing cars, prompting a swift response from law enforcement.
Cell phone videos taken by eastbound commuters captured the tense moments as the CHP shut down all eastbound lanes leading off the Bay Bridge, causing traffic to back up for miles.
The woman was seen walking across lanes of traffic, pointing her gun, and firing at several cars. Despite multiple vehicles being hit by gunfire, no one was injured.
CHP officer Andrew Barclay expressed concern over the woman's mental state, stating that it became evident she was experiencing some form of mental health crisis.
Following the intense ordeal, she eventually surrendered near the I-880 ramp and was promptly taken to a local hospital for a mental health hold.
Investigators try to piece things together
While investigators are still piecing together the events that led to this dangerous situation, they are looking into whether alcohol or drugs played a role.
Barclay mentioned that the severity of the incident may result in several charges being filed against the woman once she is released from the hospital and taken into custody.
"We are grateful no one was harmed in this incident," Barclay said. "Our officers were able to get there deescalate that situation, get her to drop her weapon and take her into custody. I don't have anything to parallel this to. I don't have another incident that I can compare this to."