Man phoned ex-girlfriend as he shot strangers at San Diego pool party

A man upset at a break-up opened fire at a pool party and carried on calmly shooting from his seat while phoning his ex-girlfriend, say police.

Peter Selis, 49, carried out the attack on Sunday while a guest at a 50th birthday party in San Diego, suddenly shooting the host when he invited him to join in.

One woman was killed and six others injured before police shot him dead.

"He didn't stand up. He sat the whole time. Even when he reloaded his magazine, he sat in his chair," said Demetrius Griffin.

"It was very eerie, to say the least. He didn't stand up. He didn't say anything. He just opened fire."

After shooting two people, Selis called his ex-girlfriend and told her what he was doing, before carrying on shooting.

"It is apparent that Selis wanted his ex-girlfriend to listen in as he carried out his rampage," said police chief Shelley Zimmerman.

Another witness, Rikky Galiendes, who saw the incident from an overlooking apartment, said: "He was just sitting down with a gun on his lap.

"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."

The victims were black and Latino, and Selis was white, but police have discounted a racial motive and believe they were hit at random.

Witnesses said the shooter was sitting alone and wearing a long coat before he opened fire with a .45 caliber handgun.

The shooting happened at an apartment complex near the city's University of California.

A police helicopter was first to respond and reported multiple victims on the ground and that Selis appeared to be reloading.

He was shot dead when he pointed his gun at three officers who arrived at the scene.

Police said two victims were in a critical condition but are expected to survive. One man also broke his arm while tried to escape.