For the second weekend in a row gunfire marred the downtown Turlock nightlife scene, though in this case there were no injuries reported from the incident
The most recent shooting was reported around 1:30 a.m. Sunday in the 100 block of W. Main Street. The Turlock Police Department stated they received multiple calls of a man shooting a gun up into the air outside one of the downtown businesses.
“My husband and I were sitting on the patio of Grand Gru and all of a sudden we heard about four shots near us,” said Turlock Journal photographer Candy Padilla. “I immediately ran back into Grand Gru. Luckily an off-duty officer was present and able to call it in. The scene was chaotic and everyone started running. The bar cleared out within minutes.”
Officers arrived quickly at the scene and detained three men initially thought to have been involved in the shooting. The investigation determined they were not involved, though one was arrested for an unrelated warrant, said Turlock Police spokesperson Deandra Wiley.
Several witnesses described the shooter as a man dressed in a camouflage printed sweatshirt. The witnesses said the man fled the area on foot.
On Aug. 18 the police department responded to a shooting that occurred around 2:30 a.m. in the 100 block of S. First Street.
In that incident an off-duty Merced County Sheriff’s deputy was wounded by the shooter.
The shooter had been in one of the establishments on S. First Street before walking out to the street and firing his gun. The shooter fired in the direction of the victim, who was standing outside with three other people. It’s unknown if the shooter was specifically targeting the victim or just the group in general.
The victim had not been in the same establishment as the suspect prior to the shooting, Wiley said.
The first Turlock Police officers to arrive at the scene found the victim with at least one gunshot wound and began administering first aid until paramedics arrived.
The suspect left the scene prior to police arrival, in a grey sedan or sport utility vehicle.
The suspect was described as an adult Hispanic male, about 40 years of age, standing five feet 10 inches to six feet tall and approximately 200 pounds. He was wearing a blue polo shirt and blue jeans.
Investigators believe there were multiple witnesses and that the incident was possibly video recorded.
At this point it’s unknown if the two shootings are linked. The investigations into both continues.
Anyone with any information about Sunday’s incident is encouraged to contact Officer Allen Samano at 668-1200.
Anyone with information about the shooting on Aug. 18 information is encouraged to contact Detective Frank Navarro at 664-7319.
To remain anonymous, you can contact Crime Stoppers at 521-4636, you may be eligible for a cash reward. You can also contact the Turlock Police Department’s Tip Line at (209) 668-5550 ext. 6780 or email at tpdtipline@turlock.ca.us, if you wish to remain anonymous.
