Atwater police seek help from public in weekend shooting

At least one man was shot Sunday afternoon outside an Atwater liquor store, the city’s police department reported.

Few details were available late Sunday.

No arrests have been reported and police have not commented on any motive for the violence.

Police said three men were confronted coming out of a liquor store just before 2 p.m. in the area of the 1500 block of Broadway in Atwater.

Police said three people, described by officers as Latino men, got into a sedan, possibly a Honda Accord, during the confrontation. “At some point, shots were fired by an occupant of the Honda, which then sped off,” police said in a news release.

The second group of men left the area in a black Chevrolet Impala.

Officers at the scene found a blood trail and four expended shell casings, but no victims.

Police later received word that a man arrived at a Turlock hospital with at least one gunshot wound. That man, whose name and age were not released, apparently slipped away from the hospital just before police arrived, officers said.

A short time later police were notified the same man was at Mercy Medical Center in Merced seeking treatment. Police from Merced and Atwater got to the victim and were attempting to interview him late Sunday, officers said.

The Atwater Police Department is asking for the public’s help in identifying the suspects in this shooting. Anyone with information about this crime can call the Atwater Police Department at 209-357-6396 or contact the Merced Area Crimestoppers at 1-855-725-2420, or go to mercedareacrimestoppers.org to send anonymous information via text or email.