Merced police investigating early-morning homicide

A 20-year-old man died early Friday morning after being shot, Merced police reported.

Police received a call of shots fired about 12:30 a.m. Friday in the 300 block of Eric Court. When officers arrived, they found the man lying in the street with multiple gunshot wounds to his upper torso.

Riggs Ambulance Service treated the victim at the scene. He was transported to Mercy Medical Center, where he later died, officials said. His identity was not released Friday.

Police do not have a description of the shooter and were unable to locate any suspects. Witnesses told police a vehicle was in the area at the time of the shooting, but it’s not clear if the vehicle was involved. The motive of the shooting also is unclear, authorities said. Detectives checked the neighborhood for possible witnesses, and the police department’s crime scene is processing the scene for evidence.

The death marks the seventh homicide of the year in Merced and the 18th overall in 2015 in Merced County.

This story was originally published August 7, 2015 at 8:28 AM with the headline "Merced police investigating early-morning homicide."