WATSONVILLE - A teenager gunned down Tuesday night was lucky to be alive Wednesday, but investigators have no leads on who shot him as he walking with a girl to a friend's house.
At least two gunman shot at the 16-year-old Watsonville boy - hitting him several times in the torso, arms and legs - in what investigators say was a gang-related attack, according to Sgt. Saul Gonzalez.
The near-fatal shooting was the latest in a string of gang violence in the city. There have been upwards of 200 cases involving weapons - predominately guns and knives - in Watsonville this year. That's about a 27 percent increase from previous years, according to figures compiled by the Police Department and released last month.
Gonzalez said detectives haven't been able to link the recent shootings and stabbings to the point that they can say one is the result of another, but "we're definitely looking into it."
"What's causing it? We don't know at this point," Gonzalez said.
Police do suspect more gang members are carrying guns.
"There's been a lot more shooting so we know a lot of gang members have guns," Gonzalez said.
That prompts concerns about additional violence, as well as the safety of police officers.
"It's a chain reaction," Gonzalez said. "Once you're on the streets carrying these weapons crimes of opportunity occur."
Tuesday night, the teens were walking near Jefferson and High streets, not far from Freedom Boulevard, when several suspected gang members approached. They didn't say anything before opening fire on the boy, who police said was a "gang associate."
He as hit as many as seven times, police reported.
The boy, who lives in a nearby neighborhood, was flown to an out-of-county trauma center for treatment, which police said may have saved his life.
"It looks like he's going to pull through," Gonzalez said.
The girl was not injured; Gonzalez said the gunmen may have spared her because of her gender.
At least two handguns were involved, but neither was recovered. Police collected evidence at the scene and have an idea of how many attackers were involved, but are not disclosing that information.
"We don't have much to lead us to the right direction of the suspected shooters," Gonzalez said.
Witnesses, including the girl, were "semi-cooperative" with investigators but detectives have been unable to interview the boy because of his condition, Gonzales said.
Mayor Luis Alejo, who heard about the shooting just as the City Council meeting adjourned Tuesday, encouraged residents to work closely with police to report crimes in their neighborhoods.
"That's what law enforcement needs, is for people to step up," he said.
There have been four murders in Watsonville this year, all with gang ties. Two remain unsolved.
Gonzalez said police are trying to be more proactive this winter. For example, officers will stop to talk with a young kid out walking at night because he could potentially be a victim of a crime or a suspect.
"We're trying to make our presence known and not turn a blind eye," Gonzalez said.
Alejo said the city's Post-Incident Team - a collaboration between community members, clergy, city officials and police - will visit homes later this week in the neighborhood where Tuesday's shooting occurred and that city leaders will address violence issues at the first City Council meeting of 2010. Also, he would like the council and the school board to hold a joint meeting early next year to talk about crime.
"There needs to be a discussion because a lot of things that carry out into the street also go on in schools," Alejo said. "We need to take it to another level ... so we can be more effective at reducing gang violence in our community."