An El Cajon police officer was shot in the head as a house was set ablaze Sunday afternoon.

A gunman was spotted, reportedly setting a fire on a San Diego County house Sunday afternoon around 5 p.m. One of the first two El Cajon police officers who responded to a disturbance call and rushed to the scene was shot in the head by one of shots fired by the suspect.

The police officer is in critical but stable condition after undergoing surgery at a local hospital, while the gunman's body may have been found by SWAT squad members who stormed the fire-damaged house where he fled, reports the Los Angeles Times.

The flames were put out at around 7 p.m. by firefighters.

After surrounding the house, police searched for the suspect Kevin Collier, who they believe could not escape and may have died in the fire. A body found near the entry of the house was not identified immediately, according to El Cajon police, but it is believed to be that of the gunman.

More extensive search is scheduled for Monday morning, said Lt. Mark Coit.

According to a family friend, Collier shot and killed his mother-in-law and his 1-year-old daughter, after her wife recently filed for divorce. Neighbors are suspecting that the gunman had shot his wife.

The initial search by SWAT, however, found only one body possibly of the shooter, and police have not been able to confirm other bodies.

Los Angeles Los Angeles California