A man opened fire and shot another man Monday afternoon after an
argument among suspected gang members turned violent in the Kragen
Auto Parts store parking lot on the south side of town.
The shooter and two accomplices fled the scene in a Honda Civic
immediately after the single shot was fired.
A man opened fire and shot another man Monday afternoon after an argument among suspected gang members turned violent in the Kragen Auto Parts store parking lot on the south side of town.
The shooter and two accomplices fled the scene in a Honda Civic immediately after the single shot was fired.
Police shortly after pulled over one suspect at the corner of San Benito and South streets and arrested him on suspicion of attempted homicide.
Police suspect two others were also involved but escaped the vehicle before the arrest occurred.
Police did not release the names of suspects or the victim because the investigation isn’t finished, according to Capt. Richard Vasquez. He did say they were men in their late teens or early 20s.
Whether the man arrested is suspected as being the gunman, Vasquez said, “I don’t want to say that yet.”
The victim, an unidentified man, was taken to Hazel Hawkins Hospital and was later transported by Calstar to San Jose Medical Center. It is unknown whether the wound was life threatening, according to police.
What began as a verbal dispute inside the store at about 1 p.m. moved into the lot, where police suspect one shot was fired before three men fled in the car. The entire dispute lasted slightly more than 10 minutes, Vasquez said.
Kragen is surrounded by shopping center stores and restaurants. And the shooting occurred around lunch time, when the area was busy with patrons.
“It was a scenario that could have turned out much worse with people being hurt,” Vasquez said.
He went on: “Not always the intended victims are the victims.”
Police suspect rival gang affiliations played a role in the shooting. Investigators believe the crime was gang-related based on statements made by witnesses and the victim, Vasquez said.
The one arrested suspect will likely be charged with a “gang enhancement,” police said, which can increase the severity of a potential penalty. If more arrests are made, police hope to get gang charges on those as well.
Police investigators taped off the store parking lot. They examined the scene for about 90 minutes and questioned the victim and witnesses.
Vasquez said police have interviewed about 10 witnesses – either people near the parking lot at the time of the shooting or store employees. They hoped to interview more people and complete the investigation by Tuesday morning, he said.
Kragen management referred all comments to a district manager, who could not be reached for comment.
The Hollister Fire Department also responded and bandaged the victim’s arm before an ambulance transported him to the hospital. He was calm as rescuers tended to his wound, according to fire Capt. Leo Alvarez.
“He was keeping his composure, but he was in pain,” Alvarez said.
Attempted murder and shooting statistics for 2004 were unavailable by press time. There have been no homicides in 2004, according to Vasquez.
Anyone with information on the shooting should call Sgt. Andy Burgess of the Hollister Police Department at 636-4330.
