A 22-year-old man is in critical condition as of Monday afternoon after he was shot multiple times in an attempted murder early Monday morning outside an apartment complex on Westwood Drive, according to Gilroy Police.
Officers were dispatched to the report that a male victim had been shot about 12:15 a.m. Monday, from the Mira Valley apartment complex at 8195 Westwood Drive, according to a press release sent out Monday morning.
As of Monday afternoon the 22-year-old victim was in critical condition with multiple gunshot wounds at an unidentified trauma center in the Bay Area, said Gilroy police Sgt. Pedro Espinoza.
The victim’s name has not been released and police have released few details.
When police arrived at the shooting scene, they discovered the victim was no longer there and was being driven to the hospital by another family member. Officers found evidence of a shooting in the parking lot of the apartment complex, according to the press release.
Police drove to Saint Louise Regional Hospital and contacted the shooting victim, who was treated by hospital staff for multiple gunshot wounds. The victim was transported from the Gilroy hospital to a trauma center.
No suspects have been identified or arrested, Espinoza said.
Officers continue to interview potential witnesses to learn more details, Espinoza said. He did not say how many people might have witnessed the shooting. Police do not know if the shooter or shooters left the scene by vehicle or on foot, though the layout of the two-story apartment complex and surrounding neighborhood on the northside of First Street near Kern Avenue would make a getaway feasible by either method.
Police also do not yet know if the shooting was gang-related, “though it certainly could be,” Espinoza said.
Some neighbors across the street and next-door to the apartment complex reported they or other members of their households heard gunshots late Sunday night. Besides that, the neighbors didn’t know anything else about the incident.
One man, who lives in a smaller apartment complex next to Mira Valley, said he “thought” he heard “multiple gunshots” shortly after he returned home from his swing shift at work. He turned on a police scanner in his home and heard the authorities were on their way to the scene.
The man, who declined to provide his name, said he went outside when police arrived and heard officers saying the victim was shot “in the head area,” and they found “a few bullet holes” in a nearby vehicle.
Numerous residents of the Mira Valley apartment complex, contacted Monday morning about 10 a.m. did not speak English. Knocks on numerous doors of the complex went unanswered.
Espinoza said “it’s not unusual” for the police to respond to calls for service in the area of the shooting, which is near the intersection of First Street and Westwood Drive. Nearby are a shopping center and “a couple of liquor stores,” he said.
“It’s a busy intersection,” Espinoza said. “Once you’ve got multiple businesses (in an area) it’s more susceptible” to reports of property crimes or crimes against people.
The case is actively being investigated by the department’s Detective Unit and Anti-Crime Team. Anyone with information about this crime is encouraged to all (408) 846-0350.
