SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. – The San Bernardino Police Department is investigating a perplexing incident in which a woman was shot and killed by officers after allegedly pointing a gun at a 3-year-old child she did not know.

Authorities received a 911 call on Sunday morning reporting that a woman was inside an apartment, holding a gun to the head of a 3-year-old boy who was not related to her. When police arrived at the scene, they found the woman, described as “very distraught,” standing on a balcony and still pointing the gun at the child. She then retreated into the apartment and locked the door.

Officers kicked down the door and found the woman standing on a bed inside the living room, still pointing the gun at the child, who was crying. Despite orders to drop the weapon, the woman allegedly refused and instead pointed the gun at the child again.

The officers opened fire, striking the woman at least once, but she continued to hold the gun. They fired again, this time fatally, after she pointed the gun at the child once more. The child was unharmed and the woman, identified as Darvet Brown, was pronounced dead at the scene. Brown, a 35-year-old resident with no relation to the child, had behaved in a manner not fully understood by the police.

The investigation into the incident is ongoing, and witnesses with information are urged to contact the SBPD Detective Chavez.