Merced County Sheriff’s deputies make arrest in fatal shooting at Beachwood gas station

A 36-year-old man has been arrested as a suspect in the Sunday shooting death of a Merced man near a Beachwood area gas station jon Sunday.

Marcus Osby of Merced, has been arrested on suspicion of murder for the shooting that killed Mark Strauss Jr., 30.

According to Merced County Sheriff’s spokesman Deputy Daryl Allen, Osby was located and arrested at a local hospital while seeking treatment for a gunshot wound.

Deputies responded to the corner of Beachwood Drive and Oakland Avenue at 6:02 p.m. Sunday, for multiple reports of gunshots, according to a Merced County Sheriff’s Office news release.

Deputies arrived on scene and located Strauss Jr., on the ground suffering from gunshot wounds near the Shop-N-Go gas station. Life saving measures were attempted but Strauss Jr. was pronounced dead at the scene.

Authorities said that according to witness statements, there may have been some sort of video being filmed in the area at the time of the shooting. Allen said evidence of more than one shooter was located at the scene and it is unknown just how many shots were fired.

Sheriff’s deputies have not identified a motive for the shooting. “We’re looking for other people that may have been involved,” said Allen.

Osby was booked into the Merced County Jail Sunday, on suspicion of first degree murder and attempted murder, according to jail records. He remains in custody in lieu of $1,000,000 bond.

The homicide remains under investigation as authorities work to locate any additional witnesses and video surveillance from the area. Authorities ask anyone with information regarding the incident to contact the Merced County Sheriff’s Office Investigations Bureau 209-385-7472. Callers can remain anonymous.

According to Merced Sun-Star records, the shooting death is the eighth recorded homicide in Merced county this year.

This story was originally published March 21, 2022 at 2:43 PM.