A shooting Thursday evening on the 7200 block of Carmel Street—across the street from Glen View Elementary School—may have been motivated by gang affiliation, according to police.
At approximately 7:18 p.m., authorities responded and found a 24-year-old Gilroy man—whose name is being withheld—suffering from a gunshot wound to the upper torso, Gilroy Police Department Sgt. Pedro Espinoza said. The victim was airlifted to a local trauma center and remains in critical condition as of Friday afternoon.
After the shot rang out from a semi-automatic handgun, witnesses told police they saw two Hispanic males wearing black hooded sweatshirts fleeing eastbound on Eighth Street. According to Espinoza, investigators are considering both men as suspects at this time and estimate they are between 14 and 20 years of age.
“Preliminary information revealed that a verbal exchange may have preceded the shooting,” Espinoza said, adding this leads police to consider gang affiliation as a possible motive for the violence.
The GPD’s Anti-Crime Team, tasked with gang suppression activities, has assumed control of the investigation. Both suspects, if located, face felony charges of attempted murder.
Police are asking anyone with information contact investigators with Anti-Crime Team and call (408) 846-0350. Anyone wishing to remain anonymous can call We-Tip at 1-800-782-7463 (1-800-78-CRIME).
