Residents of a tucked away block east of Downtown Gilroy were
surprised Wednesday night after a 22-year-old man was wounded in
what police are investigating as a gang-related attempted
murder.
Residents of a tucked away block east of Downtown Gilroy were surprised Wednesday night after a 22-year-old man was wounded in what police are investigating as a gang-related attempted murder.
At 8:34 p.m. Wednesday, officers responded to a report of a shooting in the 300 block of Lewis Street, finding the victim lying inside of a garage, according to the Gilroy Police Department. The victim was suffering from “upper body trauma,” police said.
The victim was flown to a Bay Area hospital with life-threatening injuries, according to the GPD. As of 2:30 p.m. Thursday, he was still being treated for his injuries, GPD Sgt. Chad Gallacinao said.
A preliminary investigation by the GPD Anti-Crime Team indicated the victim and other acquaintances were inside the garage of a residence. Unknown assailants approached the garage and opened fire on the small group of men, according to the GPD. The suspect or suspects immediately left the area. Numerous witnesses contacted the police and were interviewed by investigators, police said.
GPD Officer Amanda Stanford said Thursday the number of suspects was not immediately known.
The shooting is being treated as a gang-related incident, but the GPD could not say why because an investigation was ongoing.
“The department takes gang crime very seriously,” Gallacinao said. “So does the City of Gilroy and the community overall.”
The 300 block of Lewis Street spans Chestnut Street to Forest Street. A flood control creek where a deceased homeless man was found Feb. 25 runs under a bridge in the middle of the block. While several newer homes dot parts of the 200 and 400 blocks of the street, the 300 block is comprised of only a few, more rustic buildings.
Several residents spoke to the Dispatch, but did not give their names for fear of retribution.
A woman who answered the door at one home said she didn’t witness the shooting and said, “They already took us to the police station.”
Another woman walked up to the doorway from behind her, saying, “They don’t want to talk to reporters.”
She added, “And no pictures,” before closing the door.
One neighbor, who said she moved to Gilroy just a few weeks ago, heard “two pops” Wednesday night before going to sleep.
“I said, ‘That sounded like a gun,’ ” she said. “Though they don’t have shootings where I’m from.”
About midnight, a family member woke her up, saying there were several police cars down the street.
“I could see the lights from my bedroom window,” the woman said.
She added the police presence lasted until about 3 a.m.
When asked if she regretted moving, the woman said, “I hope not.”
She then laughed, “Happy initiation.”
Stanford said the street was “not necessarily an area that would stand out” to the GPD.
“The crimes can happen anywhere in the city,” she said.
One Lewis Street resident said she was driving home from church Wednesday night when she saw at least five police vehicles less than a block from her house. She thought police were there because of an auto accident and was surprised to learn there had been a shooting.
“We really didn’t know,” she said.
Another neighbor said he didn’t hear anything that sounded like gunshots Wednesday night, but saw police cars and a fire engine blocking off part of Lewis Street. He said he and his wife had no idea what happened.
“We didn’t hear nothing,” he said. “I was in bed already.”
Police officers remained on the street until about “2 or 2:30 in the morning,” the man said.
The shooting comes roughly six weeks after another person was injured due to gang violence.
On Jan. 27, a woman was hospitalized after she was struck in the head by bullet fragments during a gang-related drive-by shooting on Hadley Court, according to the GPD.
Gallacinao said the department, in cooperation with Morgan Hill police, was looking into obtaining a $750,000 grant for funding a regional gang prevention coordinator.
Anyone with information regarding this case can call GPD Investigator Mark Tarasco at 846-0350 or anonymously at (800) 782-7463.
