A 19-year-old man was wounded in a drive-by shooting Sunday night in Planada.
The teenager is expected to survive the shooting, said Merced County Sheriff's Department spokesman Deputy Tom MacKenzie.
Around 10:45 p.m. the sheriff's department received a report of a drive-by shooting that occurred in the 300 block of Campos Court in Planada. At first investigators believed there were no injuries until a little later that night Mercy Hospital in Merced called with a gunshot victim, Mackenzie said.
The victim was at a neighbor's house when the shooting occurred. Suspects drove by and fired an unknown number of rounds at the house before leaving the area. The victim was struck once in the face, near his jaw and exiting through his cheek. The victim is expected to recover from his injuries even though it was just a few inches from being a fatal gunshot wound, Mackenzie said.
Investigators believe the incident was gang related, since the house has had prior gang activity, however the victim has no known ties or associations to gangs, other than this incident.
There is no suspect or vehicle description and anyone with information is asked to contact the Merced Sheriff's Office at 385-7472.