A Sacramento, CA, police officer responding to a domestic violence incident was ambushed and mortally wounded by a man with a rifle Wednesday evening, officials say. The gunman held off officers from inside a house for nearly eight hours before surrendering early Thursday morning.

Authorities identified the officer as Tara O’Sullivan, 26, and said she had been shot while trying to help a woman move belongings out of a home. O’Sullivan had been with the department for only a year, the Sacramento Bee reports.

Police spokesman Sgt. Vance Chandler said the incident began when officers got a call Wednesday morning about what Chandler called a “disturbance” between a man and a woman. At about 5:41 p.m., police went to the home to help the woman collect some personal belongings.

While that was occurring, the officer was shot at about 6:10 p.m.

“Due to one of our officers being shot, our officers took safe positions, and at that time they believed the officer was shot with a rifle,” Chandler said. “The officer went down in the yard of a residence and due to the suspect being armed with a rifle and actively shooting our officers maintained cover in safe positions until we were able to get an armored vehicle in the area.”

The armored vehicle was able to rescue the wounded officer at about 6:54 p.m., Chandler said, and she was transported to a hospital at 6:59 p.m. where she died.

The suspect's identity has not been released.