Detectives were called out three times to Chicano Park in San Diego overnight on Saturday, and, shortly after the third incident, a teenager died at a National City hospital, possibly a victim of the last shooting.
The gunfire began about 10 minutes after midnight, when responding officers went to the park but were unable to find evidence of a shooting. When they returned at 1:08 a.m., shell casings were located, and the police found a vehicle that had been shot up. Another report of gunfire was made almost exactly an hour later, but that visit to the park by officers was also fruitless.
However, about five minutes after the third shooting, a vehicle with several men in it pulled up to Paradise Valley Hospital in nearby National City. According to the San Diego police, the men directed an officer, who was at the medical center on an unrelated call, to their car, in which an 18-year-old was fighting for his life after being hit by gunfire on the Interstate 5 south on-ramp from Logan Avenue.
Although lifesaving efforts were made, the teen died of his injuries. He has been tentatively identified but that information is not being released pending family notification.
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Because of the location of where the teen was shot, the investigation was originally being handled by the California Highway Patrol but has since been transferred to SDPD, since the shots are believed to have been fired from the area of Chicano Park.
Anybody with any information about the case, especially any security-camera recordings made in the area at that time, is being urged to call SDPD's homicide unit at (619) 531-2293. Tips can also be called in anonymously to Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477.
