Sgt. Chris Goodwin of the Merced Police Department confirmed an 18-year-old man died in a Modesto hospital following the 3:09 a.m. shooting Sunday at 3276 Denver Ave. His name was not released pending notification of next-of-kin by coroner's officials.
A 17-year-old girl was wounded Saturday night in a separate drive-by shooting on Martin Luther King Jr. Way and five people were shot late Friday night on East 22nd Street.
"It was a particularly violent weekend. There is nothing to link the three shootings together. There is no way to understand what prompted these things," Merced Police Chief Russ Thomas said.
Thomas said it's impossible to predict these shootings. He is going to meet today with investigators to assess the situation and determine what the next steps will be.
Lt. Roger McIntyre said Merced police officers responded early Sunday morning to a report of shots fired at an apartment complex at 3278 Denver Ave.
Officer Nathan McKinnon was directed by witnesses to the pool area at 3276 Denver Ave. and found a man lying on the ground.
The victim had received at least one gunshot wound, and was unresponsive, with no pulse. McKinnon and Officer Eduardo Chavez immediately began cardiopulmonary resuscitation and were able to restore the victim's pulse, McIntyre said.
Merced fire and Riggs Ambulance Service personnel took over medical care of the victim. The victim was airlifted to a Modesto hospital where he initially was listed in critical condition.
McIntyre said specific details of what happened in this incident are limited. Detectives are working to develop leads about what prompted the shooting.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact the department's Tipster Line at 385-4725, or Detective Harry Markarian at 385-4756.
In the 9:54 p.m. shooting Saturday, police were dispatched to the 2000 block of Martin Luther King Jr. Way following reports of numerous shots being fired.
Officer Cody McCombs said a 17-year-old girl, not identified, was the victim of gunshot wounds.
She was shot in the upper right arm, and had possible shrapnel wounds to her stomach.
The girl was transported to the Merced Airport where she was flown to Doctors Medical Center in Modesto for further treatment. She was listed in serious but stable condition.
The girl told officers she and her boyfriend were sitting in their car, parked by the side of their home in an alleyway. They were preparing to leave to go to the movies at the time.
Just before driving away, they noticed a dark-colored compact vehicle driving toward them through the alley. As the vehicle drove up beside them the occupants of the car began shooting.
The victim and the victim's boyfriend ducked down into the car, but the victim was struck with a bullet that came through the front windshield. The bullet penetrated her right arm and lodged in the front passenger seat, McIntyre said.
The victim's boyfriend was not injured but their vehicle was hit numerous times. As the car passed by they continued shooting. Several bullets lodged in the front of the adjoining residence, and one went through the front window. No one in the residence was struck by the gunfire.
McIntyre said the shooters fled northbound on Martin Luther King Jr. Way. The victim's boyfriend is associated with a known criminal street gang, McIntyre said, and officers are looking into the possibility this incident was gang-related.
Merced police officers responded to an 11:24 p.m. drive-by shooting Friday in the 1400 block of East 22nd Street.
Officers Jeff Christensen, Jeff Horn and Jaime Young found two victims in the front yard at 1480 E. 22nd St. Both victims had sustained gunshot wounds, non-life threatening but serious in nature.
The victims were later transported to the Community Campus of Mercy Medical Center Merced.
Officers found that there were three more victims who had been shot. They had been transported to the hospital in private vehicles.
McIntyre said officers were sent to the hospital to talk with the victims and found that one was in serious condition and was being airlifted to Memorial Medical Center in Modesto.
The incident started when the victims and other family members were sitting in the front yard of 1480 E. 22nd St. A white sport-utility vehicle of unknown make drove up and stopped in front of the residence.
Without warning, occupants of the SUV began shooting at the group. It appears that someone in the victim's group returned fire, shooting at the suspects' vehicle, McIntyre said.
Victims and witnesses told officers that numerous shots were fired. It is unknown if the suspects were injured in the exchange of gunfire. This incident appears to be gang-related, as some of the victims are "NFL" (Nortenos For Life) gang members.
Thomas said the department's Gang Violence Suppression Unit will be expanding from five to six officers.
The department also will be joining a countywide gang task force in September, which will include officers from the Merced County Sheriff's Department, Atwater and Los Banos police departments and the District Attorney's Office.
Associate Editor Doane Yawger can be reached at 209-385-2485 or dyawger@mercedsun-star.com.
