Man dies by suicide, injures toddler and girlfriend in SF shooting, father says

Man dies by suicide, injures toddler and girlfriend in SF

A 24-year-old son died by suicide on Thursday morning and also shot his girlfriend and their 1 ½-year-old son, according to the young man's father. There was a separate shooting on Bryant Street that injured two.

SAN FRANCISCO - A 24-year-old man died by suicide on Thursday morning and also shot his girlfriend and their 1 ½-year-old son, according to the young man's father.

In an emotional interview outside the family's home on the 1000 block of Tompkins Avenue in San Francisco, Anthony Thomas said his son, Antoine Thomas, took his own life "for some strange reason."

Deadly start to New Year in SF

Two days into 2025 San Francisco has already seen three shootings.

The elder Thomas said that his son's girlfriend had called him, begging to come to their home, which is one street over from the Alemany Farmers Market.

"But I didn't make it in time," the father said. He got a phone call from a relative that his son had shot himself. It also happened to be the elder Thomas' birthday.

Anthony Thomas hugs his sister after he said his 24-year-old son killed himself. Jan. 1, 2025

"Today's my birthday, what a present," Anthony Thomas said ironically.

As he was speaking, his sister arrived outside the home to give him a hug, when he broke down in tears.

"Stay away from guns," the elder Thomas said. "Just try to work out your problems the best way you can."

What the police say:

Police were out investigating the 8:12 a.m. shooting, where they said a woman had been taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries and a toddler had also been injured.

Police did not describe the death as a homicide and added that this was an isolated incident with no threat to the public.

The backstory:

Anthony Thomas told a small group of reporters that his son, a youth football coach, had been bullied and didn't have too many friends.

He called his son a "nice, spoiled kid," who had nice things that others wanted. The elder Thomas said these "bullies" would want to beat up his son and "take stuff from him."

He said he told his son that he "couldn't beat them all up."

Thomas wasn't able to provide further details or context on the bullying.

The elder Thomas said his grandson is OK, as was his son's girlfriend. He has another grandson, who wasn't home at the time.

"I'm glad he's in a better place right now," Thomas said. "God has his back."

Other SF shootings:

Meanwhile, in separate incidents, San Francisco police said two people were shot and injured in the 800 block of Bryant Street on Thursday at about 10 a.m. No arrests were made.

Antoine Thomas' death follows on the heels of San Francisco's first homicide of 2025, which occurred about 12:30 a.m. Wednesday on South Van Ness Boulevard where a gas station is located.

A man was found shot to death, police said.

Police later arrested a suspect in that case, 29-year-old Jose Rivera Flores, who had sped off in an SUV.

Police took him into custody at the San Francisco County Jail.