A 19-year-old man is in critical condition from gunshot wounds he sustained when he and several other people crashed a birthday party in Winton Saturday night.
Merced County Sheriff’s spokesman Deputy Tom MacKenzie said the 19-year-old is on life support at a Modesto hospital.
The incident began around 11:45 p.m. Saturday in the 7400 block of Walnut Avenue in Winton. Family and friends were celebrating a birthday when numerous uninvited guests showed up at the front door. The uninvited guests were members of a rival gang and the 19-year-old was among the party crashers, according to the sheriff’s department.
A verbal argument escalated into a physical confrontation that prompted at least one person to pull out a handgun and open fire.
The 19-year-old victim was struck several times in the upper body, MacKenzie said. He was air-lifted to a Modesto hospital.
It is unknown how many people were involved in the altercation or the exact circumstances that led up to the fight, MacKenzie said.
The investigation is being handled by the Major Crimes Division at the sheriff’s department and no arrests have been made as of yet.
To contact Sabra Stafford, e-mail sstafford@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2002.