Police identified a 21-year-old U.S. Marine Saturday who was stabbed to death in a fight in downtown San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter a day earlier.
According to the San Diego Police Department (SDPD), the stabbing victim was Ryan Evan Harris, a Northern California native assigned to Camp Pendleton in San Diego County. Military officials said Harris was assigned to the 1st Marine Logistics Group.
Harris was wounded in a fight just after 1:30 a.m. Friday on Island and 5th avenues, near the OMNIA Nightclub San Diego in an area known for its nightlife. When police officers arrived, they found the Marine on the sidewalk, suffering from stab wounds to his upper body.
The officer and bystanders tried to help him while paramedics arrived. Despite those efforts, Harris died at the scene.
Investigators said one other person was wounded in the Gaslamp Quarter fight: a man found with stab wounds on J Street and 5th Avenue, about a block away from where Harris was found. The SDPD said that man was involved in the altercation but he was hospitalized and is expected to survive his wounds.
As of Saturday morning, the suspect in the stabbing remained at large. There is no suspect description at this time but police said the suspect is a man who was possibly accompanied by a second man at the time of the fatal stabbing.
SDPD Homicide Lt. Todd Griffin said the stabbing victims were in the Gaslamp as part of a group of military personnel, but the victim who survived is a civilian.
The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with details on this case can reach out to the SDPD’s Homicide Unit (619) 531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.
