Two hurt, one dies in Merced shooting

Two men were injured and one was fatally injured Saturday night in a shooting in the 1000 block of Home Avenue, near the intersection of Childs Avenue and R Street, Merced police reported.

The crime is believed to be gang-related, and no arrests have been reported.

Police have not released the name of the person who was killed, pending notification of the victim’s family or next of kin.

Police responded to the scene after receiving a call reporting shots fired around 10 p.m. and found the three victims inside a residence’s garage. The victims, ages 25, 29 and 31, were taken to a Modesto hospital. After the shooting, two of the men were in stable condition. The third person was in critical condition, and died later at the hospital on Sunday.

The victims were standing in the driveway to the residence when they were ambushed by the three attackers, police said. The assailants walked up to the victims and fired several rounds.

It’s unknown whether the incident is related to a shooting reported an hour earlier in Winton on Saturday. Three people were also shot in that incident.

The death is the 14th homicide reported this year in Merced, and the 30th reported in Merced County.

Detectives are working on the case and searching for suspects. Anyone with information can call Detective Paul Johnson at (209) 388-7742 or the department’s automated tipline at (209) 385-4725. Tips are kept confidential and callers can remain anonymous.

This story was originally published November 2, 2014 at 4:53 AM with the headline "Two hurt, one dies in Merced shooting."