An 18-year-old U.S. Navy sailor who was fatally shot early Saturday after an altercation in the East Village has been identified by the Navy.
Operations Specialist Seaman Apprentice Albert Lee Soto was assigned to USS Pinckney at Naval Base San Diego.
Albert was from New York and enlisted in the Navy in October 2023.
"Our thoughts are with the Sailor’s family, friends, and shipmates," the Navy said in a statement.
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Police responded around 12:50 a.m. Saturday to a report of multiple gunshots fired in the area of Ninth Street and F Street, according to the San Diego Police Department.
"An officer working in the area also heard the shots and responded to the intersection," the department reported in a statement. "Once there, the officer located a man on the ground suffering from at least one gunshot wound."
The victim was taken to a hospital, where he died shortly afterward, police said.
Detectives indicated that the victim had been involved in an altercation with a group of men inside a nightclub several blocks away prior to the shooting. They were working to determine if the two altercations were related.
The suspects were described as four men wearing mostly dark clothing last seen running eastbound on F Street, officials said.
Authorities urged anyone with information regarding the shooting to call the SDPD at 619-531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.
